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vi. 1-12. _In the year that King Uzziah died, &c._
+II. Those who have undergone this preparation will devote themselves
1
unreservedly to God's service.+ 1. _There will spring up
spontaneously within them a desire to serve God._ They will not need
to be pressed into this service; they will volunteer (ver. 8).
2. _They will not be deterred by the difficulty or painfulness of the
service to which they are called._ It was a hard and distasteful
service that was demanded of Isaiah--to prophesy to an unbelieving
and scoffing generation (ch. v. 18, 19); to enter upon a ministry
that would leave men worse than it found them (vers. 9, 10). Nor was
this ministry to be brief; it was to be prolonged through many years
(vers. 11, 12). Note: in sending Isaiah on such a ministry there was
nothing inconsistent with the Divine righteousness or goodness. God's
truth must be proclaimed, whether men will heed or reject it; and the
inevitable effect of such proclamation of the truth is to render
those who reject it more stupid and wicked than they were before
(2 Cor. ii. 16; John ix. 39). But, painful as it was, Isaiah did not
shrink from it. Nor do any who have passed through such a preparation
as his. They do not ask concerning a work or duty, "Is it easy?" "Is
it pleasant?" but, "Does God call me to it?" Paul: (Acts xxi. 13).
FOOTNOTES:
[2] Once for all must he who was to be a prophet have become
absolutely certain of the true relation of the world and
Jehovah,--must have beheld, as in a distinct form, the
2
sublime and holy character of Jehovah, and felt that he was
directed by Him alone; once for all must he have recognised
the Divine power of truth against the whole world, and
himself as living and moving in it alone; once for all must
he have entered, with the effectual energy and act of his
whole inner being, into the counsels of God, and found
himself for ever bound by them, and endowed by these bonds
with true power and freedom:--this was the first condition
and the true beginning of all the work of the prophet, the
holy consecration and the inner call, without which none
can become a true prophet.--_Ewald._
vi. 1-3. _In the year that King Uzziah died, &c._
_Scene_ of this sublime vision, the Temple; _time,_ "the year that
King Uzziah died." Why is this fact mentioned? Uzziah had profaned
the Temple (2 Chron. xxvi. 16-21); his son and successor was Jotham,
the only king of the house of Judah whose character has not one
dishonouring blot; was it not appropriate that, when the disobedient
king was removed, and a king had succeeded him, there should have
been this glorious revelation of the King of kings--not merely as a
preparation of the prophet for his mission, but as an encouragement
to the monarch to persevere in his loyalty towards God and His truth?
That which was granted to the Prophet was _a vision of the Triune
God._ Proofs: ver. 3, which shows the plurality of persons in the
Divine unity; John xii. 41, where it is asserted that that which the
prophet saw was the glory of Christ; Acts xxviii. 25, where it is
asserted that the voice which the prophet heard was the voice of the
Holy Ghost; ver. 3, the threefold repetition of "holy." I purpose,
therefore, to make some observations on this important subject of the
Trinity.
+I. The doctrine of the Trinity has been believed by the Church of
Christ in all ages.+ This is at least a presumption that it is taught
in Scripture, successive generations of devout men could scarcely
have been mistaken on such a vital point.
+II. This doctrine of the Trinity underlies the whole Bible, and is
inextricably interwoven with its fabric and structure.+ The Old
Testament testifies to the Divine unity, as contrasted with the
polytheism which prevailed among heathen nations; the Gospels record
the manifestation of the Incarnate Son of God; the Acts of the
Apostles and the Epistles set forth the work of the Third Person in
the Church. There is direct testimony to this doctrine, such as Matt.
xxviii. 19, 2 Cor. xiii. 14. But just as circumstantial evidence when
it is clear and complete is even more satisfactory and decisive than
the very best direct testimony, still more valuable is the indirect
testimony to this doctrine underlying the whole Bible; like a
threefold cord, it runs through the whole book, and binds the whole
of Divine revelation together.
3
+III. The doctrine of the Trinity, while it is clearly taught in
Scripture, is mysterious and inexplicable.+ We can no more comprehend
it with the unaided human understanding than by uplifting the fingers
we can touch the starry firmament.[1] This is no reason for refusing
to accept it,[2] we accept many other facts which we cannot explain
(we cannot explain even the familiar fact of _sight_), but it is a
reason for not insisting dogmatically that other men should accept
our explanation of it.
As we cannot stay to consider the effect of the vision upon the mind
of the prophet, I shall conclude with just three words of practical
application of the doctrine itself. 1. _It is bound up with our duty
to God._ We are bound to accept it, because He has revealed it; and
accepting it, we are bound to yield to Father, Son and Holy Ghost the
homage and love of our souls. 2. _It is bound up with our hope of
salvation._ If it is not true that the Everlasting Son came forth
from the bosom of the Father, and took upon Him to deliver man; and
if it is not true that the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father and
the Son raises men from the death of sin to the life of
righteousness, and restamps upon their souls the lost lineaments of
our Maker's image, what foundation is there left for our hope of
everlasting life? 3. _It is bound up with the fulness of the Gospel
blessings._ These are all summed upon the Apostolic benediction,
2 Cor. xiii. 14. If _these_ be ours, we "have all and
abound."--_R. W. Forrest_ (_Christian World Pulpit,_ i. 492).
FOOTNOTES:
REVELATIONS OF GOD.
vi. 1-5. _In the year that King Uzziah died I saw, &c._[1]
+I. Earthly powers fade and perish, but the Eternal Power that uses
them all lives on+ (ver. 1). Comfort here, when a great king or
statesman is taken away from the head of a nation; when a great
leader of an arduous reformatory movement, such as Luther, is laid
low; when an eloquent preacher or wise pastor is summoned to his
rest; or even when the head of a household is cut off just when his
family most need his care. He who has wrought by their
instrumentality can work without it (Ps. lxviii. 5, &c.) +II. In
God's temples there is room only for God.+ "His train filled the
Temple." Ahaz could build in the courts of the Lord's house an altar
to the god of Damascus (2 Kings xvi. 10-16), but he could not worship
two gods there, for the only living and true God departed when His
sanctuary was thus profaned. God will have all, or none (Isa.
xlii. 8). All His earthly temples must be counterparts of the one
heavenly temple, where He reigns alone. In no church will God divide
4
His empire with the State or with popular opinion: we _must_ choose
between Him and all other authorities. In no heart will He reign
along with any other principle or passion (Matt. vi. 24). +III. Until
we reach the land where there is no temple, we cannot see God as He
is.+[2] To Isaiah a vision of God was granted, and yet it was but a
symbolic vision. He saw a throne, and on it seated a Being of
indescribable majesty; but who imagines that he saw God as He is?
Does God sit on a throne, after the fashion of kings such as Uzziah,
who fade and die? The vision was a condescension to the human
faculties of the seer, and served its purpose, that of impressing
upon him the majesty and holiness of the Most High. And he tells us
more of the ministers who surround the throne than of its Occupant!
Him no words can describe; of Him no absolute disclosure is now
possible; He can but give us revelations--visions--administrations of
Himself. And this He has done. 1. _In nature._ The purpose of the
manifold and wondrous universe is not accomplished if we look only at
the creation, and do not discern in it veils not thickly hiding, but
helping to reveal the Creator (Rom. i. 19, 20).[3] 2. _In
Providence._ The manner in which the world is governed is, to the man
who studies it comprehensively, earnestly, and reverently, a
revelation of the character of the Ruler. 3. _In His Word._ That man
miserably mistakes, who studies the Bible as anything less than a
many-sided disclosure of God. 4. _In Christ:_[4] a familiar thought
this, yet how seldom do we enter into its depths! We do not worship
an unknown God, yet we cannot see Him as He is until we have entered
into that light which is inaccessible and which no mortal can
approach unto, until we have been ourselves transformed into
"children of light," and so rendered capable of looking on "the
Father of lights." +IV. Those to whom He reveals Himself most fully
are most humble, and those whom He most exalts are most ready to
serve.+ We have both these truths illustrated in the seraphim and in
Isaiah.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] The scene of the Vision is the Temple, and its features
will have the same whether we suppose them to have risen
before Isaiah's imagination while he was absent from the
spot, in the solitude of his chamber or his house-top, or
assume (as I myself prefer to do), that he was actually
praying in the Temple at the time.
5
the vision, we figure to ourselves the youthful prophet in
his rough hair or woollen garment (probably not unlike that
of the Capuchin friar as we now see him in the streets or
churches of Rome), going up to the Temple to worship;--and
if we look with him at the Temple as, at the end of 300
years from its building, it must have presented itself to
his eyes, with its ample courts, and colonnades, and porch,
and its holy house, and holy of holies, well-proportioned,
and of the most elaborate workmanship, though rather
massive than large according to our notions. As he crossed
the variegated pavement of "the great court of the
congregation," and stopped--for we have no reason to
suppose him a Levite--at the entrance to the inner, or
"priests'" court, on each hand would rise one of the tall
pillars which Solomon set up in token that the kingdom was
constituted by Jehovah, and would be upheld by His might
(1 Kings vii. 21; 2 Chron. iii. 17), and which, once of
"bright brass," but now mellowed into bronze, had their
square capitals richly wreathed with molten lilies,
chain-work, and pomegranates; before him, resting on the
back of the twelve oxen, and cast like them in brass, would
appear the "molten sea," a basin of thirty cubits in
circumference, and containing two or three thousand _baths_
of water, its brim wrought "like the brim of a cup with
flowers of lilies," and under these a double row of
ornamental knobs; while on each side stood five smaller
lavers, the bases of which rested on wheels, and were most
elaborately ornamented with oxen, lions, cherubims, and
palm-trees engraved upon them; and beyond these again he
would see the great brazen altar of burnt-offering, with
its never-extinguished fire; and overhead the roof of thick
cedar beams resting on rows of columns. These were the
courts of the palace of the Divine King of Israel, for the
reception of His subjects and His ministers. [Compare the
description of Solomon's own house, which besides its inner
porch had another where he sat to judge the people, 1 Kings
vii. 7. The arrangement of the Temple is plainly that of a
palace.] The house itself again consisted of two parts, the
outer of which, the holy place, was accessible to those
priests who were in immediate attendance on their unseen
Sovereign, while the inner, or holiest place, was the very
presence-chamber of the Monarch who dwelt "between the
cherubims," which spread their golden wings over the ark
containing the covenant He had vouchsafed to enter into
with His people, and itself forming a "mercy-seat," where
was "the place of His throne and the place of the sole of
His feet." In the position which I have, following the
requirements of the narrative in the chapter before us,
supposed Isaiah to be placed, he would see through the open
folding-doors of cypress, carved "with cherubims, and
palm-trees, and open flowers," and "carved with gold and
upon the carved work," into the holy place, which he could
not enter; and the light of the golden lamps on either side
would show him the cedar panelling of the walls, carved
with knobs and open flowers, with cherubims and palm-trees,
festooned with chain-work, and richly gilt; the mosaics of
precious stone; the cypress floor; the altar of incense;
6
the table with the shew-bread; the censers, tongs, and
other furniture of "pure and perfect gold;" and before the
doorway to the further end, and not concealed by the open
leaves of the olive-wood doors (carved and gilded like the
others), would be distinguishable the folds of the vail "of
blue, and purple, and crimson, and fine linen," embroidered
with cherubims. In the East the closed vail, or _purdah,_
declares the presence and secures the privacy of the
monarch, into which no man may intrude and live; and in the
Temple at Jerusalem it was the symbol of the awful presence
and unapproachable majesty of the King Jehovah, Lord of
hosts. . . . Perhaps on this occasion, or certainly on many
others, Isaiah had been joining in the public daily
sacrifice and worship, and had afterwards brought his own
free-will offering--a bullock or a lamb without blemish.
Such an offering, the symbol of his dedication of himself
to Jehovah's service, would be the natural expression of
his earnest desire for some token that at last it was
permitted him to enter on the actual functions of the
prophetic office for which he had been so long preparing;
and that this vision was the answer to such beautiful
prayerful desire--itself an inspiration from on high--we
may well believe.--_Strachey._
[3] P. D., 1489, 1493, 1496, 1502, 1504-1506, 1508, 1509, 1511,
1514, 1519, 1526, 2545, 2552, 2563; H. E. I., 2242.
7
ISAIAH'S VISION.
vi. 1-7. _In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the
Lord, &c._[1]
Behold, in these temple scenes, both what the Lord your God is, and
what He requires from you.
+I.+ The first of these temple scenes presents to our view +the
majesty of God:+ "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high, and
lifted up." One of the first and most important truths for us to
learn is the absolute rule of God--over nature, man, the
principalities of heaven. He sitteth upon His throne: this is the
attitude, 1. Of _supremacy and dignity;_ He sitteth while all other
beings stand before Him to receive His commands, bow in adoration, or
are prostrate in abasement. 2. It is the attitude of _ease and
perfect security._[2] But, above all, mark the place of His throne as
displayed in this wonderful vision. It stands in the temple; it has
been sprinkled with the blood of propitiation; it is _now_ the
mercy-seat. To the truly penitent all its terror appears softened
with grace.
+IV.+ In the next scene which the vision presents we behold +a sinful
man convicted and laid prostrate before this holy God+ (ver. 5).
8
join in the hymns of seraphim, and, without dread, approach to God,
and celebrate the glories even of His holiness. This we are taught,
but not this only; not merely is the fact, but the manner of it,
brought before us. See, then, the means. The instrument of
purification is fire; but not any kind of fire, fire from any place;
it is fire from the altar, the altar where atonement is made for sin;
fire, therefore, both of Divine origin, and coming to us through the
great Propitiation. We can be at no loss for an interpretation of the
symbols thus employed. Our altar is the cross; the propitiatory
sacrifice, the spotless Lamb of God; by the merit of His death, and
the baptizing fire of His Spirit, and the guilty and polluted
pardoned and sanctified to God.--_Richard Watson: Works,_ vol. iv.
pp. 143-153.
FOOTNOTES:
9
rage and the people imagine a vain thing," yet "he that
sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have
them in derision." The throne of God is a rock in the midst
of the ever-rolling ocean of created existence, that heaves
and swells with ceaseless change; but, in comparison of
Him, its mightiest billows have but their moment of
existence, and sink into the mass at the base of the
immovable throne of the Everlasting One.--_Watson._
THE SERAPHIM.
FOOTNOTES:
10
corresponding to their own supersensuous being, and to the
design of the whole transaction. Whilst the seraphim
hovered on both sides of Him that sat upon the throne, and
therefore formed two opposite choirs, each ranged in a
semicircle, they presented antiphonal worship to Him that
sat upon the throne.--_Delitzsch._
11
intimating the consciousness we feel of their pre-eminence,
and our profound respect for the excellency and dignity. We
cannot look at the sun shining with meridian splendour, but
we are obliged to cover our eyes with our hands. Such is
the infinite glory of the eternal Jehovah, that celestial
spirits around His throne appeared to our prophet covering
their faces with their wings. Light inaccessible and full
of glory, in which God resides, was too strong for them
directly to contemplate.--_Macculloch._
A GLORIOUS EXAMPLE.
The seraphim afford us a model for imitation. Our Lord has animated
us in our Christian course by promising that, if we are faithful, we
shall be made like the angels in heaven; but if we would hereafter
resemble them in glory, we must first resemble them here in temper.
Let us, therefore, prepare in time to join the concert of these holy
intelligences. +I. They burn with love to God.+ The honourable name
they bear is derived from a word signifying to burn, and denotes the
fervour of that zeal for the interests of their Lord by which they
are animated. +II.+ Notwithstanding their vast endowments, +they bend
with reverence and humility before the throne of the Lord. III. They
fly with rapidity to execute His commands.+--_Henry Kollock, D.D.:
Sermons,_ pp. 585, 586.
12
Only here do we read of _seraphim:_ elsewhere we read of _cherubim_
(Gen. iii. 24; Ezek. x. 1-22, &c.); and of _living ones_ (Rev.
iv. 6-8). From the fact that these "living ones" in some respects
resemble both the "seraphim" of Isaiah and the "cherubim" of Ezekiel,
some eminent scholars believe these are three names for one order of
beings. Others, with whom we are disposed to sympathise, believe that
the two names "cherubim" and "seraphim" really indicate two orders of
spiritual intelligences, resembling each other, yet distinct. Whether
the "living ones" of the Apocalypse are cherubim, or seraphim, or a
third order of exalted ministers of the Most High, is a question
concerning which we cannot speak confidently.
II. Consider next THIS SONG OF THE SERAPHIM. +1. They acknowledge God
as "the Lord of hosts."+[3] This term in its first use in human
language referred to the sun, moon, and stars (Gen. ii. 1; Neh.
ix. 6, &c.). Thus considered, how wonderful are the conceptions which
are opened out to us of the Divine power and glory! (Isa. xi. 2-6).
But it includes also those thousands of thousands of exalted
intelligences who hearken to His word and do His pleasure. "A great
King" is the Lord our God! +2. They teach us that the glory of God is
co-extensive with His works.+ All that Isaiah saw was that God's
glory filled the temple: what they saw was that His glory filled the
earth. _"The whole earth," &c._ 1. This declaration is true, if we
think of Him _as the God of nature._ Everything that He has made is
"good." Even a snowflake shows forth His glory. Science is a servant
of God, and is teaching us to understand somewhat of the wondrousness
and beneficence of His works. 2. It is true if we think of Him _as
the God of providence._ Human history, comprehensively and
thoughtfully considered, shows that, while men are free, they are yet
under the control of One who rules over all in the interests of
righteousness and truth (Ps. lxxvi. 10; Isa. x. 5-7, &c.). To angelic
intelligences how profoundly interesting must be the problems which
God is working out in the government of this world! (Rev. xv. 3).
3. It is true even if we think of Him _as the God of redemption._
Possibly (though perhaps not probably) this earth is the only sphere
in which His glory in this respect is manifested. But here it is
manifested in the mission and work of His Son (Eph. iii. 10). Even
13
where the Gospel has not yet been proclaimed there are senses in
which His glory as the God of redemption is manifested: even there,
for Christ's sake, He is patient with sinners, He strives with them
by His Spirit, He is preparing them for the future triumphs of the
Cross. The history of our race, when it shall be seen as a whole,
will all redound to His glory as the God of redemption.[4] +3. In the
holiness of God the seraphim find the supreme subject for adoration
and song:+ _Holy,_ &c. Other attributes of the Most High are the
themes of their thought and worship, but it is His holiness that
excites their most rapturous praise. Why? 1. _They have never needed
His mercy;_ it is reserved for _us_ to sing the sweet song of
redeeming grace. On account of our redemption they rejoice (Luke
xv. 10), but doubtless they rejoice in it most because the mercy
shown us is a holy mercy; it was so shown as to solve some of the
profoundest moral problems, and so as to leave untouched the
principle of righteousness on which God's throne eternally abides
(Rom. iii. 26). Not having needed that mercy themselves, it is
natural that they should rather magnify the holiness which had been
shown in it and which is the need of all. 2. _It is the holiness of
God that gives value to all His other attributes._ They are valuable
only because they are directed by unswerving holiness. The holiness
of God is the foundation of the peace, and joy, and the love of the
moral universe. Were God not holy, even hell itself would be a more
awful abode; for then to all its other woes would be added the
possibility of suffering inflicted in mere vindictiveness. We also
are called to join in the song of the seraphim (Ps. xxx. 4,
xcvii. 12): let us beseech Him so to sanctify us by His Spirit, that
in our lips the song may not be a sacrilege!
III. THE EFFECTS OF THE SONG. 1. _"The posts of the door moved at the
voice of him that cried."_[5] A symbol this of the constant effects
of the proclamation of truth. At every new announcement of it earthly
things that seem most solid shake, and many of them totter and fall
and disappear (2 Cor. x. 4; Heb. xii. 26-28). 2. _And the house was
filled with smoke._ In response to the worship of the seraphim the
temple became so completely filled with the Divine glory that the
radiance overpowered the prophet's vision. What he calls "smoke" was
excess of light (1 Kings viii. 10-12; Rev. xv. 8).[6] So would it be
with us were our craving for a fuller manifestation of God in His
works and word granted. We have as much light now as we can bear. A
fuller revelation would only dazzle, confuse, and blind us. The time
is to come when we shall see God "as He is," but this will then be
possible, because "we shall be like Him;" and that time is not yet!
FOOTNOTES:
[1] _"Above the throne stood the seraphim. Each one had six
wings. With twain he covered his face, and with twain he
covered his feet, and with twain he did fly."_ The sense of
awe increasing with the clearness and purity of a spirit
and with the nearness of its approach to God; the face
being veiled which receives the light for Him, and most
covets to behold Him; the absence of all which to display
their own perfection in spirits who are perfect; the
freedom and willingness to go anywhere, to do any errands
of mercy; these are some of the more obvious thoughts which
14
the study of this vision suggests. There are others which
lie hidden, which we may have a glimpse of from time to
time, and which words might mar. For it is true of earthly
symbols, still more of heavenly visions, that they are
meant to carry us out of words and above words.--_F. D.
Maurice._
[4] Sin has already served, as all things must, to bring into
view more clearly the glory of God, for had there been no
sin there could have been no mercy; and in its punishment,
its overthrow, and its extirpation, His glory will be yet
more signally displayed. Hercules could never have been
deified, if there had been no monsters to overcome. True is
the seraph's song even now, but it shall be more manifestly
and gloriously true in that day, so surely and swiftly
drawing nigh, when Christ shall have subdued all enemies
unto Him, and God shall be All in all.--_R. A. B._
[5] The voice of the seraphim at this time was so loud and
melodious, and the power of their heavenly music was so
great, when extolling the holiness and glory of Jehovah
that the posts, with the lintel of the door of the temple,
seemed to tremble, to be shaken in the place where they
stood, or loosed from their place. This was a very
15
surprising effect (though seen only in vision); for these
posts were so large and strong, that they supported gates
of brass which are said to have required twenty men to shut
them, on account of their ponderous weight.--_Macculloch._
16
FOOTNOTES:
VOLUNTEER SERVICE.
17
This is a chapter of autobiography. Here is disclosed the secret of
the wonderful energy with which for more than half a century Isaiah
prosecuted his ministry. He is the Paul of the Old Testament.
Allowance being made for difference of phraseology, there is a
striking resemblance between the call of Isaiah and of Paul (comp.
chap. vi. with Acts ix.). Both sought to serve the heavenly King; and
both received a commission to work, spiritual and catholic beyond all
conceptions of their time,--the one penning the Gospel of the
suffering Messiah, the other vindicating the truth that the Gospel is
God's message to the _world._ The text reminds us--
+II. Of the steps that lead up to this offer.+ The offer may take men
by surprise, but there has always been preparation for it, as there
has been long preparation for the lightning that leaps suddenly from
the sky. Such offers as the prophet made are preceded--1. By _a
vision of God,_ of the thrice Holy One, filling the soul with awe,
and causing it to tremble (vers. 1-4). 2. By _self-prostration of
spirit,_ a conviction of utter sinfulness (ver. 5). This is the
invariable result of a true vision of God (Exod. iii. 2; Josh. v. 14;
Judg. vi. 22, xii. 22; Luke v. 8; Rev. i. 17). This is also a prime
condition of fitness for service. 3. By _the touch of a mediator_
(vers. 6, 7). "They that be struck down by visions of God's glory
shall soon be raised up again by visits of His grace." Blessed is the
man who has _both_ visions. A sense of pardon is essential to large
usefulness. Imperfect realisation of forgiveness is one of the most
frequent causes of weakness in Christian service. 4. By _a moral
transformation._ The offerer has become a new man from the centre
outwards. Now he can hear God's voice: "I heard," &c. It is a voice
to which now he feels he _must_ respond: "Here am I," &c. In some
degree every Christian is thus prepared. These essentials of service
are also essentials of Christian life. These experiences are at once
your credentials and your powers.
+III.+ That +God always accepts offers of service for which there has
been this preparation, and that bear these marks.+ He never rejects
true volunteers. Offers hastily made and half-meant He passes by
(Josh. xxiv. 18, 19; John ii. 23-25); but genuine, whole-hearted
offers of service, He invariably accepts.
18
divinely called and most royally endowed may fail, because of the
moral obduracy and perverseness of those to whom he is sent (vers. 9,
10). 2. _True service is not incompatible with sorrow_ (vers. 11,
12). That man is inhuman who without profound grief can behold the
perversity of sinners, and the calamities with which in consequence
they are visited. 3. _True service will never be left without
reward._ Multitudes may reject the prophet's message, yet there will
be "a tenth" who will accept it and be saved.--_J. R. Wood._
FOOTNOTES:
MESSENGERS WANTED.
+I. God wants messengers unto sinful men.+ Tidings concerning sin and
salvation, mercy and deliverance, God's grace and man's misery, must
be published. Might send seraphim and the angel host. God elects to
send men to their fellow-men. "Whom shall I send?" is not the inquiry
of a Divine perplexity, but the stimulative question of one who calls
for willing workers. +II. God especially qualifies His messengers.+
How does He in an especial manner fit men for His highest service?
1. _By an awe-inspiring sight of Himself._ 2. _By distressing
convictions of personal sin._ 3. _By sanctifying all the faculties to
His use._ +III. God's call should meet with a ready response.+ He
desires volunteers, "Who will go for us?" The constraint of love is
the omnipotent motive force. 1. _The call is heard individually._ "I
heard the voice of the Lord." 2. _The call provokes self-surrender._
"Here am I." 3. _The call demands entire self-abandonment._ "Send
me"--anywhere, on any errands, at any time, in any capacity. +IV. How
may we ascertain that we are required to become messengers of the
living God?+ 1. By the separating voice of God. 2. By the discipline
of preparation. 3. By the openings of beckoning opportunities. The
"joy of the Lord" will be our strength when most we feel the pressure
of "the burden of the Lord."--_Matthew Braithwaithe._
vi. 9, 10. _And He said, Go, and tell this people, &c._
A sad and mysterious errand, the statement of which might well have
quenched the enthusiasm inspired by his vision of the Divine glory.
When he exclaimed, "Here am I, send me!" how little did he anticipate
for what purpose he would be sent! It must have astounded and
saddened him, and it is full of astonishment and mystery for us. How
could God have sent His servant on an errand such as this?
19
if we recognise--what I believe to be the fact--that here we have a
statement, not of the messages Isaiah was to deliver (for they were
many, and were revealed to him at various times), but of what would
be the result of them all. Those to whom he was sent, and whom he
desired to bless, would not be made better, but worse, by his
ministry.
The passage seemed at the outset full of mystery; our tendency was to
20
shun it as one that would not bear investigation, as one about which
the least that could be said the better, as one which we could have
wished had never been written. What do we see now? That here we have
an illustration of the Psalmist's saying, "Clouds and darkness are
round about Him"--so to our purblind vision it seems, the brightness
being _so_ bright that it dazzles and blinds us; "but righteousness
and judgment are the habitation of His throne." What should we learn
from this? 1. _Never to fear to investigate anything in God's Word._
There is nothing here which its friends need wish to hide out of
sight; it is all worthy of Him from whom it came (Ps. xix. 9).
2. _Never to distrust God because of anything in either His Word or
His Providence._ Things that might cause distrust we shall meet with;
some of them we shall never explain here, when we can know only "in
part;" yet let us keep fast hold of the glorious and gladdening
truth, that "in Him is no darkness at all." God is light; God is love.
FOOTNOTES:
21
THE REJECTION OF DIVINE TRUTH.
vi. 9, 10. _And He said, Go, and tell this people, &c._
FOOTNOTES:
22
elect; and enough of obscurity to humble them. There is
obscurity enough to blind the reprobate; and brightness
enough to condemn them and to leave them without
excuse."--_Blaise Pascal._
23
will have it so, so let it be."--_John Howe._
Let us look steadily at the _facts_ before us, and then, perchance,
we may discern the _lessons_ associated with them. Isaiah desires to
know how long his strange and sad mission is to continue; and the
answer is, until its utter failure to save his fellow-countrymen from
their sins and their impending doom has been demonstrated, until
nothing but the mere life-germ of the nation is left. Here really are
three facts, full of instruction for us to-day. I. _Isaiah's mission
and the calamities he desired to avert by it were to work together._
There was thus a twofold appeal to the men of that generation; and at
its close God might have repeated the challenge, "What could I have
done more?" (chap. v. 4). Both by offers of mercy and manifestations
of righteous anger He sought to deliver them from the doom towards
which they madly hastened. Thus God deals with the world to-day: His
preachers of righteousness and His judgments because of
unrighteousness work side by side; this fact is a conclusive proof
that God is not willing that the sinner should die. This is true of
nations, and it is true of individuals. II. _Isaiah was to prosecute
his mission to the end, notwithstanding the proofs that his efforts
to deliver his fellow-countrymen were vain._ This is always the duty
of God's messengers: they are to deliver their message, and reiterate
it. Whether it is popular or unpopular is a thing of which they are
not even to think! the one thing they have to consider and remember
is, that it is true. III. _In the midst of all the calamities of his
time, Isaiah was sustained by the assurance that the nation he loves
should not utterly perish._ Nothing could hurt "the holy seed" that
constituted its true life. The Church of to-day is full of
imperfections; the forces of unbelief are marshalling themselves
against her; it may be that she will again be tried by fierce
persecutions: but the Lord's true prophet can survey all these
possible calamities with calmness; he knows that "the holy seed"
which constitutes her true life cannot be injured by them.
24
success of the Divine purposes._ God selected the descendants of
Abraham as the instruments through whom He would bless the world
(Exod. xix. 5, 6). Their history has been one long struggle against
this purpose; but it has not been a frustration of it: their very
waywardness and wickedness have afforded occasions for the
manifestation of His character, and the consequent revelations both
of His goodness and of His severity have been blessings in the world.
In spite even of their rejection of His Son they are still His
people, and He will at length make them a holy people (Rom.
xi. 28-29). 2. _God does not hesitate to use any means that will help
to conform His chosen ones to His own ideal._ It is a solemn thing to
be chosen of God: that choice may involve possibilities from which
flesh and blood shrinks.[2] The way to avoid those possibilities is
to find out what God's purpose concerning us is, and endeavour to
conform ourselves thereto: then we shall find His choice of us a
well-spring of constant blessing. 3. _God does not despise the merest
germs of goodness._ Insignificant, comparatively, as was "the holy
seed" in Israel, He watched over it with ceaseless care. Comfort
there is here for those who lament that there is in them so little of
which God can approve. That little He will not despise (1 Kings
xiv. 13; Isa. xlii. 3); He sees what possibilities of excellence
there are in His chosen ones;[3] and those little germs of excellence
He will nourish until they have developed into that which will
satisfy even Himself.
FOOTNOTES:
25
when they had been completely felled. . . . The root-stump
was the remnant that had survived the judgment, and the
remnant would become a seed, out of which a new Israel
would spring up after the old had been destroyed. Thus in a
few words is the way sketched out which God would
henceforth take with His people. The passage contains an
outline of the history of Israel to the end of time. Israel
as a nation was indestructible, by virtue of the promise of
God; but the mass of the people were doomed to destruction
through the judicial sentence of God, and only a remnant,
which would be converted, would perpetuate the nationality
of Israel, and inherit the glorious future. This law of a
blessing sunk in the depths of the curse actually inflicted
still prevails in the history of the Jews. The way of
salvation is open to all. Individuals find it, and give us
a presentiment of what might be and is to be; but the great
mass are hopelessly lost, and only when they have been
swept away will a holy seed, saved by a covenant-keeping
God, grow up into a new and holy Israel, which, according
to chap. xxvii. 6, will fill the earth with its fruits, or,
as the Apostle expresses it in Romans xi. 12, become "the
riches of the Gentiles."--_Delitzsch._
vii. 1-9. _And it came to pass, in the days of Ahaz the son
of Jotham, &c._
26
The historical statements[1] in these verses afford illustrations of
spiritual truths. +I. The powers of evil are confederate against the
Lord's people+ (vers. 1, 2, 6). By the combined forces of evil, God's
chosen ones have always been assailed. The conflict began in Eden,
and has continued ever since. These combined forces attacked our
Lord, and appeared for a time, outwardly at least, to conquer. We
must expect similar assaults (John xvi. 33). The ultimate object of
these foes is to destroy our spiritual life. +II. The Lord's people
are often terrified by the action of their foes.+ Two things may
contribute to this. 1. _A sense of personal guilt._ Conscience often
slumbers in prosperity, but awakens and alarms us when danger
threatens. No doubt Ahaz remembered his sin, when he saw his foes
were coming. 2. _Distrust of the Lord._ It does not appear that Ahaz
told the Lord about his trouble, or sought His help. His idolatry had
led him into unbelief--a frequent cause of the Christian's terrors.
He looks at his troubles, and sinks, because he does not lay hold on
Christ (Matt. xiv. 30). +III. God seeks to allay the fears of His
people in the hour of their trouble.+ This is done in three ways.
1. _By exhorting them to keep their minds calm._ "Take heed, and be
quiet; fear not, neither be faint-hearted." Picture Ahaz restless,
excited, his breast fainting, hope and courage failing. How timely
was the prophet's exhortation! how helpful it might have been to
Ahaz! Who of us does not know the blessedness of such an appeal? We
have been excited, trembling, fainting, because of temporal dangers
or spiritual foes, and in our agitation have been likely to do
something foolish. But a voice has said, "Fear not; be calm!" Who
says, "Fear not"? The loving, omnipotent Saviour, who is able to
deliver us. 2. _By showing His people the weakness of their foes._
They are only the "two tails of smoking firebrands." You think them
powerful, but they are really weak (1 John iv. 4). 3. _By predicting
the failure of the plans of their foes_ (vers. 7-9)--a prediction
which was fulfilled sixty-five years afterwards, when Esarhaddon
desolated the country, and filled it with foreigners. So God shows to
us the weakness of our foes, and predicts their failure. +IV. God
shows His people that faith is necessary for the establishment of
their peace+ (ver. 9. See also 2 Chron. xx. 20; Isa.
xxvi. 3).--_H. F. Walker._
FOOTNOTES:
vii. 1-9. _And it came to pass, in the days of Ahaz the son
of Jotham, &c._
27
apt to fail before such accumulations of misfortune. +II. But God
guarantees the safety of those who trust in Him.+ 1. _He controls all
events_ (ver. 7). The Prince of Orange, when he took the field
against France and the Emperor, said he had made an alliance with
Heaven, and feared not for the result. Much more may the believer be
confident in the warfare of life (H. E. I. 200-203, 2372, 2373, 4049,
4055-4058). 2. _It is only while we trust in Him that we are thus in
alliance with Him._ Only by trusting in Him are we kept from trusting
in that which cannot deliver us--ourselves or our fellow-men, to the
exclusion of God and the rejection of His proffered help. Only by
trusting in Him are our hearts kept in peace (chap. xxvi. 3, H. E. I.
1893, 1894, 1911-1919, 1923-1926). Only by trusting in Him do we give
Him the glory which is His due, and which He will not give to another
(H. E. I. 4054). +III. The guarantee of safety which God offers to
all who trust Him extends to the soul as well as the body.+ Because
of our sins, and the enemies they bring against us, we might well
fear; but in the Gospel help is offered, and perfect safety is
guaranteed to them that believe. +IV. The inevitable result of
refusal to accept the help which God mercifully offers us is ruin.+
Ahaz, refusing the sign offered him, and trusting in Assyria, was
overthrown by his ally. There is deadly peril in any other alliance
than that which God offers to form with us. Said our Lord to all who
are tempted to apostacy, "Remember Lot's wife," and in like manner we
may say to all who are tempted to disregard and reject God's offers
of help, _Remember Ahaz!_--_John Johnston._
28
panics+ (ver. 2). Panics are very common, very painful, very
dangerous and hurtful. Their cause: lack of faith in God. Without
faith in the controlling providence of God, men are naturally as
liable to alarm as is a wealthy man who on a foggy night has to make
his way through a dangerous quarter of a strange city; he knows not
whether those footsteps he hears behind him are those of a policeman
or of a garotter! Firmness is the reward of faith--of intelligent
confidence exercised by righteous men in a righteous God (Ps. iii. 6;
lvi. 11; xci. 5; cxii. 7, 8, &c.). Deliverance from fear is one of
the respects in which "godliness has the promise of the life that now
is." This blessing may be yours, if you will; yours in times of
domestic, of commercial, of national alarm. You may be delivered, if
you will, from the supreme fear--fear of death. Christ came into the
world for the purpose of delivering you from it (Heb. ii. 14, 15).
Yield yourself to be really His, and your end shall be peace (Ps.
xxiii. 4; lxxiii. 26).
FOOTNOTES:
29
crime ever committed was done under a pretext of righteousness (Matt.
xxvi. 65). So has it been with countless crimes since. Let us be on
our guard against our own hearts (Jer. xvi. 9; Prov. xiv. 12) Let us
not act upon any reason which we do not really believe will bear the
scrutiny of God. +III. Of the twofold result which always follows
such resistance to the Divine purposes.+ 1. _The sinner is, ere long,
compelled to confess that the counsels he set aside were counsels of
truth and wisdom._ In less than three years, Ahaz had cause to
acknowledge the soundness of the advice to which on this memorable
day he refused to listen.[4] A typical case. 2. _The obstinate sinner
is left to the ruin from which he would not permit God to deliver
him._ There is no salvation by force. God acts upon our will, but He
will not save us against our will. Neither shall those who refused to
be saved from sin be saved from its consequences. If we choose evil,
no act of omnipotence will render the choice harmless (chap.
iii. 11). Ahaz chose the help of Assyria rather than the help of
Jehovah, and with the help of that great and unscrupulous power he
had to take its domination and destructiveness (2 Chron. xxviii. 16,
20). Again a typical case. The retributive justice of God is a fact
of which it behoves us to be heedful.
FOOTNOTES:
30
shalt not tempt Jehovah." He refused the sign, because he
knew it would confirm the still struggling voice of his
conscience; and that voice he had resolved not to obey,
since it bid him give up the Assyrian, and trust in Jehovah
henceforth.--_Strachey._
A THREEFOLD COUNSEL.
+I. "Take heed."+ This is just what Ahaz fancied he was doing. He was
taking heed to the alliance which had been formed for his overthrow,
and he was at that very moment doing his best to frustrate it--by
strengthening the fortifications of Jerusalem, and by summoning the
king of Assyria to his help. This seemed to him and his court
supremely wise: it was eminently foolish. He was taking heed
exclusively to the danger, and had no attention left for the
Divinely-provided defence against it. That defence lay in God's
promise made to David (2 Sam. vii. 12-16). From one point of view, it
may be said that in allying themselves for the destruction of the
royal house of David, Rezin, Pekah, and the son of Tabeal embarked on
an enterprise foredoomed to failure; they might as well have
conspired to prevent the sun from rising any more in the east. That
the descendants of David should reign in Jerusalem and that the sun
should rise in the east, were both guaranteed by the same thing--the
will and appointment of God. Resistance was as vain in the one case
as in the other--that is, while the conditions attached to the
promise made to David were observed. For there were conditions
attached to it (1 Chron. xxviii. 9; 2 Chron. xv. 2). It was to this
great promise and to its essential conditions that God would have
Ahaz "take heed."
31
for him. God had promised to defend Zion and her king, and if Ahaz
had had faith in God's promise, the appeal to Assyria for succour
would never had been made. Alas! how often have better men than Ahaz
failed in this very respect. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the founders
of the Hebrew nation, all fell into grievous sin through the want of
faith in God's promises which led them to try to do for themselves
what God had promised to do for them (cf. Gen. xv. 1, and xx. 11-13;
xxvi. 3 and 7; xxv. 23, and xxvii. 24). To what a shameful state of
degradation was David brought by the same cause (cf. 1 Sam. xvi. 13
and xxi. 12, 13). How many imitators they have had! God has promised
that His people shall be safe and prosperous; but not taking heed to
His promises, to how many tricks and devices have they had recourse
to secure for themselves the blessing God would surely have sent to
them if they had been obedient and believing, and into what shame,
misery, and ruin have they plunged themselves.[1] Let their sins be
to us as beacons; let us "take heed" to God's covenant on both its
sides, and be quiet (Ps. xxxvii. 3-9).
+III. "Fear not."+ Yet there seemed good reason for fear. It was
really a powerful confederacy that threatened Ahaz with destruction.
Looked at on its human side, it was no groundless panic that had
smitten him and his people. Yet the pain of mind and heart which they
endured (ver. 2), they endured needlessly. They were really in no
danger for their enemies. Their danger lay only in the unbelief and
stubbornness of their own hearts. They had but to return to the Lord
and they would find Him a refuge and strong tower, as their fathers
had done aforetime. _"Fear not"_ is the counsel which I give to God's
people to-day. Some of you are fearing greatly; some concerning
temporal things, some lest the spiritual conflict you are waging
should issue in defeat and eternal ruin. "Take heed" to the promises
God has made to you in both these respects; "be quiet," and fret not
yourselves in any wise to do evil; with calm and courageous hope wait
for the fulfilment of these promises; instead of yielding to
distressing, utterly unnecessary, and God-dishonouring fears, say
with David (Ps. xxvii. 1, xxxiv. 22).
FOOTNOTES:
HEEDFULNESS.
The Hebrew word signifies, to prevent or keep off any evil with which
we are threatened. The direction ought to extend to all that we do;
for not one duty can be rightly performed without diligent attention,
and it is no less incumbent upon us than upon the king and people of
Judah (H. E. I. 4880-4890). It is a necessary and useful caution,
which ought to be reduced to practice at all times, especially in
seasons of perplexity and distress, such as that wherein Ahaz and his
subjects received this admonition. 1. Take heed to your _senses,_
particularly what you see and hear; for these are the avenues by
32
which sin and vanity, or wisdom and instruction, enter into the heart
(H. E. I. 4895). 2. Take heed to your _actions,_ what you do, and how
you act, and for what purpose you are employed, that you may happily
avoid the many sins and dangers to which you are exposed, and attain
the great ends which you ought uniformly to pursue. 3. Take heed to
your _tongue,_ that you sin not with your mouth; consider wisely what
you say, to whom you speak, and to what purpose, especially when your
minds are fretted, and when you feel yourselves under the influence
of timidity and disappointment (P. D. 3558, 3559). 4. Take heed to
your _hearts,_ and keep them with all diligence, for out of them are
the issues of life; attend to the secret operations of your minds,
and the objects on which your affections terminate, that you may
perceive whether they are properly moderated and directed (H. E. I.
2695-2705, 4887; P. D. 1735).--_Robert Macculloch: Lectures on
Isaiah,_ vol. i. p. 395.
We are only stating this general truth in its highest form, when we
say that if men do not believe in God as He has revealed Himself in
His Word, they cannot be "established." 1. God has revealed Himself
in His Word _as the righteous Ruler of nations,_ who will exalt the
nations that seek after righteousness, and bring swift vengeance upon
those who follow courses of evil. What will happen if a statesman,
like Ahaz, does not really believe this? He will become a mere
politician; he will do what seems to him "expedient." This will often
be iniquitous, and this at no distant period will inevitably lead to
disaster and ruin (P. D. 2544). 2. God has revealed Himself _as the
supporter and rewarder of individual men who are resolved always and
simply to do what is right._ Confidence in God as thus revealed to
them was the secret of the courage and endurance of the martyrs (Dan.
iii. 16-18), and of countless sacrifices for truth and righteousness
known only to God, but which He will never forget. But if a man does
not really believe this truth, how easily is he swept away by
33
temptation, whether it presents itself threateningly or seductively!
3. God has revealed Himself _as, for Christ's sake, pardoning
absolutely all who repent and believe._ Into the hearts of those who
accept this revelation there come peace and joy, but into their
hearts only. Want of faith in this revelation is the secret of all
painful efforts to merit the Divine mercy. 4. God reveals Himself _as
the Saviour of His people from sin,_ as their Sanctifier from all the
stains of iniquity. Want of faith in this revelation is the secret of
the trouble that fills and oppresses many devout souls. They will
never travel towards Zion with steadfast feet and rejoicing hearts
until they do indeed believe it (Jude 24, 25). 5. God reveals Himself
in Christ _as the Good Shepherd who is with His people always._ How
troubled, because of the possibilities of life and the mystery of
death, are those who do not with any vital faith accept this
revelation which He has been pleased to give us! But the twenty-third
Psalm is the song of those who do believe it (P. D. 1156-1160).
Thus closes the address of Isaiah to Ahaz and his people on a very
memorable and trying occasion. . . . Its meaning is, Take God at His
word; place entire reliance upon Him, and not upon an arm of flesh.
If ye will not do this as a country, the state cannot be safe; and if
you will not do this as individuals, your minds cannot be composed
and established. Now, let us pass from the house of David naturally
to the house of David spiritually, and pursue the train of thought
set in motion. Let us consider the stability of faith, and the peace
it induces. In the Christian's life there are three kinds of
stability. +I. There is a stability of judgment.+ This regards the
_truths_ of religion. It is of great importance to have a judgment
clear and fixed, as it respects the great concerns of the soul and
eternity, and the great doctrines of the Gospel of Christ; for as we
think we feel, as we feel we desire, and as we desire we act, and as
we act our characters are formed and our conditions determined.
Instability concerning these great truths is both perilous and
painful; but whence is stability to come? Not through human
authority; for what one patronises, another denies. Not through human
reason (H. E. I. 537, 1087, 2022-2024; P. D. 2926, 2929, 2931, 2934).
There must be a revelation received by faith; Divine declarations,
believed because God has made them. This leads to an experience which
tends still further to establish the Christian in the faith (H. E. I.
1087, 1142-1148). +II. There is a stability of practice.+ This
regards the _duties_ of religion (1 Pet. i. 5). In order to see the
34
strength and beauty of the sentiment contained in the text, let us
place the believer in three positions. 1. In a place of _secrecy._ To
many this is a place of temptation. Not so to the believer. Faith
brings God and places Him before us (Gen. xvi. 13; xxxix. 9). 2. _In
prosperity and indulgence_ (Prov. i. 32). But faith brings to the
Christian the earnests of a better country, the first-fruits and
foretastes of it, and thus gives him a victory which others can never
achieve (1 John v. 4). 3. In a condition of _suffering and danger_
(Heb. xi. 24-27; Dan. vi. 10; H. E. I. 1911-1919). +III. There is a
stability of hope.+ This regards the _comforts_ of religion (Rom.
xv. 13; 1 Pet. i. 8; Ps. xxiii. 1, 4, 6). 1. _Beware of unbelief._ It
is a grievous offence against God; it is hurtful and perilous to man.
Every sin renders our salvation impossible by the law, but only one
sin renders it impossible by the Gospel, and that is unbelief; not by
any desire or threatening of God, but by its natural tendency and
result. For there is only one remedy that can restore a perishing
sinner, and if this be rejected, destruction is inevitable (H. E. I.
443). 2. _Labour and pray for an increase of faith_ (Mark ix. 23;
2 Chron. xx. 20).--_William Jay: Sunday Morning Sermons,_ pp. 101-109.
vii. 12. _But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I
tempt the Lord._
We are commanded to ask for all we need and desire (Matt. vii. 7;
Phil. iv. 6). But many say, "I will not ask." +I. Men are apt to act
thus when possessed of earthly resources.+ How hard it is for a man
of wealth to pray, "Give us this day our daily bread!" He has much
goods laid up for many years. How natural for a man in health and
prosperity thus to forget his dependence on God (H. E. I. 4000,
4001). Even in trouble a man is apt to look elsewhere for aid:
_e.g.,_ in sickness to the physician; even when convinced of sin, to
his own efforts, or to a human priest. +II. Men often act thus on the
pretence of not tempting God.+ On the ground that their affairs are
beneath His notice (H. E. I. 4015-4025, 2245-2248, 2325, 3226, 3403).
On the ground that God has already established the laws by which all
things are regulated (H. E. I. 3179-3182, 3751, 3752, 3757).
+III. But the real reasons why men act thus are because they trust in
themselves, and have no real faith in God.+ The real reason why Ahaz
did not ask was because he was bent on forming an alliance with
Assyria. Let it be ours gratefully to accept the privilege so
graciously offered, seeing that God has given us far more than was
given to Ahaz: we have all the great and precious promises contained
in the Scriptures, the knowledge of the unspeakable gift of God's
dear Son, the accumulated experience of all generations of His
faithfulness as the hearer of prayer. We may have our own experience
of it; if we will but ask, we shall receive. How much greater our sin
than that of Ahaz, if in these circumstances we say, "I will not
ask!"--_John Johnston._
MOMENTOUS DECISIONS.
35
vii. 12. _But Ahaz said, I will not ask, &c._
36
IRRELIGIOUS PIETY.
vii. 12. _But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I
tempt the Lord._
How numerous these people are! We find them in all ranks of life;
there is this skilful use of pretexts in all realms of human
activity. +1. Social life,+--_e.g.,_ A man rejects a suitor for his
daughter's hand, the suitor being forty-five years of age and the
daughter twenty-two, professedly for the excellent reason that too
great a disparity in age between man and wife is not desirable but
really because the suitor is not sufficiently wealthy.
+2. Business,+--_e.g.,_ A man refuses to become security for another,
because, he says, he has entered into an undertaking with his
partners not to incur any such responsibility, and because it is
important that deeds of partnership should be honourably observed;
really because he had no wish to oblige the man who asks his aid.
+3. Politics.+--Why, this is a form of activity which has to a large
extent ceased to be care for the welfare of the city or of the
community, and has to the same extent become a game of pretexts, in
which broad and great principles are used to cover petty and personal
ends. +4. Religion.+--Alas! into this realm also men carry the same
spirit and practices. Let us look at some of the prevalent forms of
irreligious piety. (1.) There is the man who will not make any
confession of Christ, because "religion is a thing between a man's
own soul and God." (2.) There is the man who will not join the
church, because the members of the church are so inconsistent, and
inconsistent Christians are among the greatest of all hindrances to
the progress of Christianity. (3.) There is the man who never attends
a week-evening service, because "there is no real religion in
neglecting one's daily duties, and we are expressly told that we are
to be diligent in business." The same man, however, finds it neither
impossible nor inconsistent with his duties to attend political
meetings and popular concerts. (4.) There is the man who never
subscribes to any foreign missionary society, because "religion, like
charity, should begin at home, and even in this so-called Christian
land there are millions of practical heathen who need to have the
Gospel preached to them." How much does this man contribute towards
home missions? (5.) There is the man who will not contribute towards
any church-building fund, because he does not "believe in bricks and
mortar," and because "true religion before God and the Father is--not
to build costly sanctuaries--but to help the fatherless and widows in
their affliction, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world" (cf.
37
John xii. 4-6). (6.) There is the man who has no hesitation in
joining in a Sunday excursion, because "the Sabbath was made for man,
not man for the Sabbath," and because--the two pleas almost always go
together--"it is possible to worship God as truly in the great temple
of nature as in any temple built by man." Picture the man as he
actually "worships God in the great temple of nature;" and inquire
how he feels on Monday after what he calls "a little relaxation on
the Sunday." (7.) There is the man who indulges freely in what many
people consider worldly amusements, because "it is not well to be too
strait-laced; Solomon, indeed, warns us against being righteous
over-much; and there is nothing so likely as Pharisaism to disgust
young people with religion" (H. E. I. 5038-5043).
38
they do, and as not merely resisting the impulse to destroy them, but
as feeling no such impulse; as longing over them with yearning desire
that they would, by repentance and reformation render it possible for
Him righteously to abstain from dealing with them according to their
desserts. The _forbearance_ of God is a conception which we find only
in this Book and that should excite our wonder, our thankfulness,
our love. This forbearance of God--this marvellous Divine patience
with sinful men--what is its secret and explanation? It is the _love_
which God has for us. Love is slow to strike.[1]
+II. It is a sad and terrible thing that the Divine patience should
be tried.+ There are some offences that are horrible, because they
outrage even our imperfect sense of what is fitting, _e.g.,_ to
falsely direct a blind man, so that he shall fall over a precipice;
to kill a hunted creature that has fled to us for protection. But of
all these outrages, the vilest are sins against love. This is the
supremely loathsome thing in seduction, that it is a sin against
uninstructed but trustful love. Our whole soul rises in disgust
against the brutal wretch who smites to the earth the mother who bore
and nursed him. But when we think of what God is, as He is presented
to us in scriptures, we see that most heedlessness to His appeals,
and warnings, and entreaties, of which we are apt to think so little,
is really a horrible offence, because it is a sin against a love the
depth and tenderness of which is but faintly imaged forth to us by
the purest and most fervent human affection. Persistence in
wrong-doing--we see its hatefulness even when it is maintained in
spite of human love: the prodigal hardening himself against his
mother's entreaties to reform. But what must we say of it as
maintained against the entreaties of a love that is more sensitive
than any mother's, and that it is rendered so wonderful by the fact
that it is associated with a power that could instantly destroy? It
is so startling and so horrible that it ought to be impossible. But--
+V. Those who tire out the Divine patience shall find themselves
righteously confronted by the Divine justice.+[3] God will not be
permanently mocked. He would be unworthy of His position if He
permitted sin to go unpunished.[4] What the punishment of sin is we
do not know, because we are now living in an economy in which justice
is tempered by mercy. Yet in the calamities and unspeakable woes that
here and now befall obdurate transgressors, we have some faint
intimation of what will be their doom when, having rejected mercy,
they find themselves given over to the unmitigated rigours of
justice. Of these things God has spoken because He would save us from
39
them. All the threatenings of Scripture are merciful warnings.[5] Let
us give heed to them, and return to Him who has declared with equal
clearness and emphasis that He will by no means clear the guilty, and
that He has no delight in the death of the sinner.[6]
FOOTNOTES:
[1] H. E. I. 2295.
[2] H. E. I. 2250.
40
&c._
Concerning these words there have been the four following opinions:--
III. That the whole passage relates both to Isaiah's son and to
CHRIST; to the former in a primary and literal sense, and in a
secondary sense to the latter.
IV. That there are here _two_ prophecies, each literal, and each to
be understood in one sense only: the first relating to CHRIST, the
second to Isaiah's son.
If it should be objected, that the original words are not future, and
therefore not likely to point out an event so very distant as the
birth of CHRIST, it may be answered that the words are, strongly
translated, "Behold! a virgin is conceiving and bearing a son," &c.
This mode of speech is the animated but customary style of prophetic
Scripture, which, in order to express the greatest certainty,
describes future events as _past,_ or paints future scenes as
_present_ to the eye. Thus the same prophet, in his most magnificent
predictions of the Messiah's birth, exultingly cries, "Unto us a
child IS BORN, unto us a son IS GIVEN:" and afterwards, in his
pathetic description of the Messiah's sufferings, "He is despised and
rejected of men. . . . Surely He HATH BORNE our griefs," &c. But
though no argument can be drawn against the Christian sense of these
prophetic words from their expressing the then present time, yet an
argument of great weight may, and must be, formed upon this very
circumstance, in proof of what is here contended for. And certainly,
if the words mean _"a virgin is conceiving,"_ a woman conceiving was
yet a virgin! this wonderful circumstance was true as to the Virgin
Mary, but it was true as to no other woman.
To these remarks upon the original language must be added one arising
41
from the circumstances of the text, for we learn from thence likewise
that Isaiah's wife and the birth of a child in the common way cannot
have been here intended. And an appeal may safely be made to persons
of sense, though wholly unacquainted with the Hebrew language,
whether it is at all probable that the prophet should address himself
to the house of David so solemnly, on so interesting an occasion;
should awaken their attention; should raise their wonder; should
promise them in the name of GOD _a sign_ or _miracle;_ should mention
the future son, not of a _man_ (as usual) but of a _woman,_ and call
that woman _a virgin;_ and should foretell the Birth of IMMANUEL,
_i.e.,_ GOD WITH US--and yet that no more was meant by all this than
that _a son should be born of a young married woman,_ which is
evidently no wonder, no miracle, at all.
There remains then the _fourth_ opinion, which is, that the text
contains _two_ distinct prophecies, each literal, and each to be
understood in one sense only; the first relating to CHRIST, the
second to Isaiah's son. This, which is the opinion of some eminent
defenders of Christianity, will (I presume) appear true and
satisfactory, when the end of the first prophecy, and the beginning
of the second, shall have been properly considered; and when some
42
proofs which seem absolutely necessary, but perhaps were never yet
produced, shall have been added to former observations.
Ahaz became King of Judah when the people were greatly corrupted, and
he himself was strongly inclined to idolatry. To correct, therefore,
both king and people, God permitted a powerful confederacy to take
place between Rezin, king of Syria, and Pekah, king of Israel; who,
growing jealous of their formidable neighbour, invaded Judæa in the
first year of Ahaz; and so successfully, that above 100,000 of the
men of Ahaz were slain in the battle, and above 200,000 of his people
were carried captives into the land of Israel.
Flushed with these successes, the two kings thought that Jerusalem
itself would soon become an easy prey to their power; and in the
second year of Ahaz marched towards it, with a resolution totally to
abolish the royal succession, which had been for twelve generations
in the house of David, and to establish, in the holy city, a heathen
king, a Syrian, "the son of Tabeal."
Amidst these distresses, we find Ahaz "at the end of the conduit of
the upper pool," probably surveying that chief source of their water,
and contriving how to secure that water to the city, and defend it
against the enemy. At this place, constantly frequented by the
people, and then visited by the king, attended probably by the chiefs
of his family, Isaiah is commanded to meet him, taking with him
Shear-jashub, and to declare in the name of Jehovah, that the evil
counsel against Jerusalem should not come to pass.
43
The king's disobedience, however coloured over with a specious piety
in his allusion to a text of Scripture, appears from the next words
of the prophet to have been highly censurable. And it probably
proceeded from his distrust either of the power or the favour of
Jehovah, after Judæa had suffered so much from these same enemies who
worshipped other gods.
Here, I presume, ends this first prophecy, and the meaning may be
stated thus: "Fear not, O house of David, the fate threatened you.
God is mindful of His promise to your father, and will fulfil it in a
very wonderful manner. Behold, a virgin (rather, THE virgin, the only
one thus circumstanced) shall conceive, and bear a son; which son
shall therefore be what no other has been or shall be, the seed of
the woman, here styled THE VIRGIN; and this son 'shall be called'
(_i.e.,_ in Scripture language, _He shall be_) IMMANUEL, God with us.
But this great Person, this GOD visible amongst men, introduced into
the world thus, in a manner that is without example, shall yet be
truly _Man:_ He shall be born an infant, and as an infant shall He be
brought up; for 'butter and honey' (rather, milk and honey) shall He
eat,--He shall be fed with the common food of infants, which in the
East was milk mixed with honey, till He shall know (_not_ that He
_may_ know, as if such food were to be the cause of such knowledge,
but _till_ He shall grow up to know) how to refuse the evil and
choose the good."
For the first promise of a Messiah was, that He should be (not the
seed of Adam, as He would have been called, if to descend from a
human father, but) "the seed of the woman," because He was to be born
of a virgin. Therefore, the Apostle says, "When the fulness of time
came, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman." And that it was GOD,
not man, who was to "prepare a body" for the Messiah, appears from
the fortieth Psalm, according to the Apostle's very remarkable
44
quotation of it, where the Messiah is prophetically represented as
saying unto God: "A body didst Thou prepare for Me; then said I, Lo,
I come; as in the volume of the Book it is written concerning Me."
Now, that this verse contains a distinct prophecy may be proved thus--
This transition will be the more evident if we render the first word
_But,_ as the same word is rendered just before in the same passage:
"Is it a small thing for you to weary men, _but_ will ye weary my God
also?" It is so rendered in this very place in our old English
Bibles, printed in 1535, 1537, 1539, 1549, 1550.
The word now rendered _"the child,"_ should be here rendered "THIS
_child;_" and the sense of the verse may be then clearly ascertained.
The necessity for this last rendering has been observed by more than
one expositor, but perhaps no one has quoted any parallel instance,
or produced proper authority for this necessary change of our
translation. But, that we may not be charged with offering violence
to an expression, in order to defend the Evangelists or to confute
their adversaries, some authority should be produced in a point on
which so much depends, and I shall mention several passages similar
to the case now before us.
45
When Jacob blessed Joseph's two sons, he laid his hands upon their
heads, and used the very same word in the plural number which Isaiah
here uses in the singular; and as that word is rendered "_these_
children" by the authors of the Greek and other very ancient
versions, we have their joint authorities for rendering the word here
"_this_ child."
The authors of our own translation have not indeed rendered the word
in the text "_this_ child," but they have shown that it _may_ be so
rendered, because they have themselves, in several other places,
expressed the emphatic article by _this_ and _that_ in the singular
number, and by _these_ in the plural. Thus in Jeremiah xxiii. 21, "I
have not sent _these_ prophets;" in Numbers xi. 6, "There is nothing
before our eyes, but _this_ manna;" in 1 Samuel xxix. 4, "Make _this_
fellow to return;" and, to omit other instances, we read in Jeremiah
xxviii. 16 (what it is impossible to translate otherwise), "_This_
year thou shalt die."
But besides these instances, in which similar words _may_ and _must_
be so rendered, agreeably to our present translation, in this same
verse of Isaiah there is the authority of our old English translation
for both the alterations here proposed; for the very first printed
edition, and at least two others, render these words, "_But_ or ever
_that_ child," &c. And, to obviate any prejudice against the other
alteration before proposed, it should be observed that so far from
their being now first thought of to favour any new opinions, almost
all of them are the very readings in our former English Bibles, from
which our present has varied in this and other instances very
improperly.
The translation of the principal word here by _this child_ being thus
vindicated, it may perhaps be asked who this child was, and the
answer is, A son of Isaiah, called _Shear-jashub,_ whom God had
commanded the prophet to take with him upon this occasion, but of
whom no use was made, unless in the application of these words;--whom
Isaiah might now hold in his arm, and to whom therefore he might
point with his hand when he addressed himself to Ahaz, and said, "But
before _this_ child shall grow up to discern good from evil, the land
that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings." There is an
absolute necessity of attending to this action in several other
sacred passages, as in John ii. 18, 19. "What sign showest
Thou? . . . Destroy this temple;" our Lord there pointing to His own
body.
This prophecy was soon after fulfilled. And therefore, this son,
whose name had been so consolatory the year before, was with the
utmost propriety brought forth now, and made the subject of a second
46
prophecy--namely, that before _that_ child, then in the second year
of his age, should be able to distinguish natural good from
evil--before he should be about four or five years old--the lands of
Syria and Israel, spoken of here as one kingdom, on account of their
present union and confederacy, should be "forsaken of both her
kings:" which, though at the time highly improbably, came to pass
about two years afterwards, when those two kings, who had in vain
attempted to conquer Jerusalem, were themselves destroyed, each in
his own country.
* * * * * * * *
"If the miraculous birth of Christ were true, yet how could an event
so very distant be properly a _sign,_ at the time when the prophecy
was delivered?"
The original word for a _sign_ means also a _miracle._ And as God had
offered _Ahaz_ a miracle to be _then_ performed, which had been
refused, God Himself promises to _the house of David_ a miracle which
should be performed, not then, but _afterwards._ But the word
signifies, not only something done at present, to induce a belief of
something future, but also something to be done afterwards, declared
beforehand in confirmation of something foretold.
Thus, when God commanded Moses to go from the wilderness into Egypt
to demand the dismission of his brethren, God assures him of success,
and tells him: "This shall be _a sign_ unto thee; when thou hast
brought forth the people, ye shall serve God upon this mountain."
And thus, when the Assyrians were marching against Jerusalem in the
days of Hezekiah, Isaiah is again commanded to declare that the city
shall not be taken; and after saying, "This shall be _a sign_ unto
you," he specifies several particulars which were all future.[1]
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Compare also our Lord's treatment of the demand for a sign,
Matt. xii. 38-40. In this case also, to unbelievers, was
given a "sign" which they could not possibly have
understood when it was given.
IMMANUEL.
47
vii. 14. _And shall call His name Immanuel._
His being "called so," according to the usual dialect of the Hebrew,
does not signify so much that this should be His usual name, as that
this should be His real character.
+II. Consider why this declaration fills the hearts of God's people
with joy.+ 1. God is here presented to us as we need Him. God
absolutely considered is an awful name; the Divine majesty is bright
and glorious, apt to strike an awe upon our minds, to awaken a sense
of guilt, and keep us at a distance from Him (Gen. iii. 10; Deut.
xxvii. 58; Job xiii. 21). But now He is _God with us,_ God in our
nature, conversing with sinful men, and concerned for their good;
this abates the natural dread of our minds, and is a ground of holy
freedom towards Him (Eph. ii. 18; iii. 12). 2. The union in Christ of
all Divine and human perfections--(1) Is the reason of our worship
and adoration of Him; (2) Is the proper ground of confidence and
48
trust in Him. We may safely depend upon Him for the accomplishment of
His promises and the salvation of our souls, for He is an
all-sufficient Saviour. 3. By this great doctrine the solemnity of
our future life is relieved. The consideration of Immanuel, or God,
in our nature, has been found by pious and devout persons a great
relief to their thoughts of the final blessedness; we can conceive
with greater ease, and with a more sensible pleasure, of being with
Christ than of being with the absolute Deity.
+III. Consider some of the duties which arise out of this wonderful
and glorious fact.+ 1. Let us adore the amazing condescension of our
blessed Redeemer, who stooped from heaven to earth, consented to
become a man, and submitted to die a sacrifice (Phil. ii. 7, 8).
2. Let us maintain constantly and boldly before all men the doctrine
of His deity. If He were only a man, or only a creature, of how a
rank soever and however dignified, He could not be _God with us;_ He
could not restore the fallen world, or obtain by His sacrifice the
pardon of sin, or give eternal life. 3. Be always ready to approach
Him. Wait upon Him in all the ways of acceptable worship, for the
manifestation of His favour and communication of His grace, for
further discoveries of His will, and fresh supplies of His Spirit.
Particularly attend upon Him at His _table;_ here He is with us in a
more familiar and sensible manner in the brightest displays of His
mercy and the largest communications of His grace. 4. Regard His
presence with you in all your use of the means of grace. 'Tis
reckoned a rude affront among men, and a token of great disrespect,
to take no notice of a great personage or overlook a superior. Regard
His presence with you as a mark of condescending favour, and as the
life and soul of all the ordinances you attend upon. This will hallow
your thoughts in the use of them, and make them to you "means of
grace" indeed.--_W. Harris: Practical Discourses on the Principal
Representations of the Messiah throughout the Old Testament,_ pp.
275-304.
vii. 16. _The child shall know to refuse the evil, and
choose the good._
These words, taken above, form a complete sentence; yet they occur in
the clause of a sentence which is intended to denote a space of time.
Before the child which Isaiah held in his arms[1] should know the
difference between right and wrong certain events would take place:
in other words, before a space of four or five years at the most
would elapse, certain things would occur. But it is not our intention
to discuss the prophecy itself; we shall find it more in harmony with
the present occasion, and perhaps more profitable, to consider what
may be suggested to us by these words thus taken apart from their
context.
_"The child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good."_
There is nothing else so important for any child to know as this
(H. E. I. 1751). Seldom made the object of education; consequently
49
the majority of lives are failures. No child knows this without
training: the child's natural tendencies are precisely the reverse of
this. But, if this training is urgently needed, how immense and
difficult is the task of those who undertake to give it! How
difficult it often is to discern between what is good and what is
evil--in all the realms of thought and activity; especially in the
moral realm. The difficulty of the text is not to cause us to decline
it. We have wonderful helps in it. 1. GOD'S WORD. What a wonderful
help that is! What a proof that in the Bible we have God's Word is
this, that for helpfulness in this task no other book can be compared
with it (H. E. I., 506, 508, 509). Our text reminds us of what should
be our object in the Scriptural teaching we give our children. What
value is there in any so-called Scriptural instruction that does not
tend to cultivate spiritual discernment--hate of what is evil, and
love of what is good? 2. THE EXAMPLE OF CHRIST, "the law drawn out in
living characters." Let us not overlook or neglect to use this
marvellous instrumentality and help. 3. THE HOLY SPIRIT. Always ready
to co-operate with us. Christian parents, let the remembrance of
these helps encourage you to resume this supremely important task
with fresh vigour. Keep it ever in view, aim at the whole of it. The
training which consists merely in fighting against evil is foredoomed
to fail. The child must be taught, not merely to refuse the evil, but
to choose the good. Do not be content in the field of your child's
heart merely to plough up the weeds; so there the corn which, when it
is full grown, shall overshadow and kill the weeds which, in spite of
all your efforts, will struggle for a place there. In those who
undertake to give this training, there is imperative need of
seriousness, humility, hopefulness, and a wise comprehensiveness.
Consider what will be the result of success in child-training such as
this. 1. Our children will be spared from indescribable misery.
2. They will grow continually in all that is noble and love-worthy.
3. Learning to choose what is good, they will necessarily choose God
as He has been thus revealed to us in Jesus Christ. 4. Beholding them
thus allied in heart and will to the supreme source of all goodness,
and daily becoming more like Him, we shall feel that all our labours
and sacrifices for them are overpaid.
FOOTNOTES:
A SENTENCE OF DOOM.
vii. 17-25. _The Lord shall bring upon thee, and upon thy
people, &c._
50
Britain will be "_Great_ Britain" only so long as God pleases. True
of individuals: (H. E. I. 3991, 4403-4406).
IV. Seeing that all these things were threatened against and
inflicted upon God's chosen people, learn that +no mercy that God
has shown us will furnish any immunity for us, if, notwithstanding
that mercy, we sin against Him.+ There is a tendency in our evil
hearts to think, that because God has been spiritually good to us, we
may sin with less risk than others; but the teaching of the Bible is,
that those who "turn the grace of God into lasciviousness" shall be
visited with a sorer doom than others (H. E. I. 4564, 4568, 4570).
MAHER-SHALAL-HASH-BAZ.
viii. 1-4. _Moreover, the Lord said unto me, Take thee a
great roll,_ &c._[1]
This singular record reminds us, +I. How marvellously varied are the
means which God employs to bring men to a knowledge and belief of
saving truth.+ That which God's ancient people needed to save them
from their mistakes and miseries was real faith in the elementary
truth that God is the only safe counsellor, for this simple reason,
that He alone sees the end from the beginning. All their
circumstances, interpreted by merely human wisdom, seemed to point to
the desirableness of an alliance with Assyria, the very thing which
God by His prophets emphatically forbade. That it might be easier for
them to believe what seemed so incredible, namely, that the Assyrian
alliance would be a calamity and not a blessing to them, God gave, in
addition to the testimonies of His prophets to this effect, a
prophecy of an event seemingly as incredible, namely, that the great
power of the two nations, Israel and Syria, from which they had
suffered so much, and which seemed so likely to be permanent, and on
account of which they sought Assyrian help, should be utterly broken,
and that speedily. God predicted this in words (chap. vii. 4-9), and
He condescended to a symbolic act that He might impress this truth
more vividly on their minds. It is of that symbolic act that we have
the record here. Now that God took so much trouble for such a purpose
is a fact worth thinking about. As a matter of fact, it is but one
instance of His constant method of dealing with men. He is so bent on
bringing them to a knowledge and belief of truth that to them would
be saving, that He shrinks from no trouble at all likely to secure
this result (Jer. vii. 13, 25; Heb. i. 1; Luke xx. 10-13).
Illustrate, _e.g.,_ how various are the methods by which He
endeavours to awaken a careless soul to anxiety, and to effect its
conversion! What is the explanation of this versatility and ingenuity
of methods in dealing with us? It is the tenderness of His love for
us; it is His yearning solicitude for our welfare.
+II. How mercifully clear are the warnings by which God seeks to turn
men from ruinous courses.+ The tablet[2] on which Isaiah was to write
was to be large, and he was to write upon it "with a man's pen," an
obscure expression, but yet at least meaning this, that the writing
51
upon it was to be easily legible (Hab. ii. 2). It is true that though
the words on the tablet were easily legible, their meaning was
obscure. But that very obscurity was of a kind to excite inquiry
(Dan. v. 5-7), and that inquiry earnestly and honestly conducted
would have led God's ancient people to a saving knowledge of truth.
Thus it is with all the warnings contained in God's Word (H. E. I.
602-606).
FOOTNOTES:
52
who was not improbably the father-in-law of Ahaz and a
Levite (2 Kings xxviii. 2; 2 Chron. xxix. 1, 18). He calls
his wife "the prophetess," as the wife of a king is called
a queen (says Vitringa), though she does not reign, and in
some old ecclesiastical canons the wife of a bishop
"episcopa," and of a presbyter "presbytera;" and he thus
claims for her a place with her husband and children (see
ver. 18) in the holy and symbolic family, who are for "a
sign in Israel." She gave birth to a child, and his name
was called, in accordance with the writing, "Haste-plunder,
Speed-spoil," that the people might understand that before
he was old enough to utter the words "father" and
"mother,"--that is, within a short but somewhat indefinite
period such as we should express by "in a year or two from
his birth,"--the spoils of the plundered cities of Samaria
and Damascus, the capitals of the nations now invading
Judah, shall have been carried before the Assyrian
conqueror in triumph.
53
[4] Isaiah's interview with Ahaz (chap. vii.), the preparation
of the tablet, the birth of Isaiah's child, and the
conquest of Syria and Israel by the Assyrians under
Tiglath-pileser all took place within the year 743-739 B.C.
54
prophecy contained in our text was uttered, the forces of Syria and
Israel were being swept away by the triumphant Assyrian host, and no
doubt Ahaz and His court felt they could afford to laugh at Isaiah,
who had steadily opposed the alliance which appeared to have been so
advantageous. 5. But the triumph of the wicked is short. The unholy
success in which bad men rejoice contains within itself the seeds of
peril and pain, of retribution, and ruin (H. E. I. 4609, 4612). The
ally in whom Ahaz had trusted presently became his oppressor; it was
a verification in actual life of the fable of the horse that took a
man for its ally. So it is to-day with all who prosper without God
and against God. Their prosperity is, strictly speaking, unnatural,
and everything that is unnatural speedily brings on disorder. For
example, a family has been enriched by godless plans; to those who
have no fear of God in their hearts, there is nothing so perilous as
wealth; it is used for the gratification of the baser passions; by
this gratification health is broken down; when the physical frame is
shattered, conscience, that has been suppressed, breaks forth into
freedom and activity, and remorse turns the gilded palace into a
hell. The illustrations of the working of this great law are endless.
FOOTNOTES:
55
But, more than this, it was the image which entered into
the very heart of the prophetical idea of Jerusalem (Ps.
xlvi. 4, lxxxvii. 7; Isa. xii. 3). It is the source of all
the freshness and verdure of the vale of Hinnom. In
Ezekiel's vision the thought is expanded into a vast
cataract flowing out through the Temple rock eastward and
westward into the ravines of Hinnom and Kedron, till they
swell into a mighty river, fertilising the desert of the
Dead Sea. And with still greater distinctness the thought
appears again, and for the last time, in the discourse,
when in the courts of the Temple, "in the last day, that
great day of the feast" [of Tabernacles], "Jesus stood and
cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto
Me. . . . out of his belly shall flow rivers of living
water."--_Stanley._
[2] The Euphrates, _i.e.,_ the good and abounding river. The
Euphrates is the largest, the longest, and by far the most
important of the rivers of Western Asia. It rises from two
chief sources in the Armenian mountains . . . they meet at
_Kebben-Maten,_ nearly in the long. 39° E. from Greenwich,
having run respectively 400 and 270 miles. Here the stream
formed by their combined waters is 120 yards wide, rapid
and very deep. . . . The entire course is calculated at
1760 miles, nearly 650 more than that of the Tigris, and
only 200 short of that of the Indus; and of this distance
more than two-thirds (1200 miles) is navigable for boats,
and even, as the expedition of Colonel Chesney proved, for
small steamers. The width of the river is greatest at the
distance of 700 or 800 miles from its mouth, that is to
say, from its junction with the _Khabour_ to the village of
Werai. It there averages 400 yards. . . . The annual
inundation of the Euphrates is caused by the melting of the
snows in the Armenian highlands. It occurs in the month of
May. . . . The Tigris scarcely ever overflows, but the
Euphrates inundates large tracts on both sides of its
course from Hît downwards.--_Rawlinson._
56
_symbolical_ use of the Euphrates in Scripture proceeds,
and by keeping it in view the several passages will be
found to admit to an easy explanation. Contributing so
materially to the resources and wealth of Babylon, the
river was naturally taken for an emblem or representative
of the city itself, and of the empire of which it was the
capital. In this respect a striking application is made of
it by the prophet Isaiah (chap. viii. 5-8), where the
little kingdom of Judah, with its circumscribed territory
and its few earthly resources, on the one hand is seen
imaged in the tiny brooklet of Shiloah; while, on the
other, the rising power of Babylon is spoken of under the
emblem of "the waters of the river, strong and many, even
the King of Assyria and all his glory." And he goes on to
expose the folly of Israel's [Judah's] trusting in this
foreign power on account of its material greatness, by
declaring that in consequence of this mistaken trust, and
in chastisement of it, the mighty stream would, as it were,
desert its proper channel, and turn its waters in a
sweeping and desolating flood over the Holy
Land.--_Fairbairn._
57
matters not who may be against us, if God be with us. This has been
the faith of God's people in all generations.
58
God's Word will survive all the assaults that are made upon them
(H. E. I. 642-645, 1246-1251, 2449). 2. _Let us not be greatly
concerned as to what may happen to ourselves._ If God pleases, He can
deliver us from any danger that may threaten us. If He is not pleased
to do so, He knows how to make our sufferings promote the cause we
have at heart. "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church"
(P. D. 2421, 2422, 2426). 3. _If we are called to suffer, let us
rejoice_ (Phil. i. 29; 2 Tim. ii. 9; P. D. 2419).
BIBLICAL POLITICIANS.
59
which is not consistent therewith, though it may win for its authors
a short-lived triumph, will inevitably plunge those who accept it
into disaster. From those who fight against God, utter defeat cannot
be far off.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] There was a general panic among the people: "their heart
was moved as the trees of the wood are moved by the wind,"
when they heard that Syria was confederate with Ephraim;
their cry was everywhere, "A confederacy has been made
against us, and we must meet it by a counter-alliance with
Assyria;" and the prophet says that he too should have
fallen under the influence of this panic, if Jehovah had
not laid hold of him with a strong hand, to keep him in the
way of dependence on Himself, and if He had not taught him
to escape the fear which possessed his fellow-countrymen,
by making the Lord of hosts his fear and his dread, by
sanctifying Him himself, as he now in His name calls on
them to do. To sanctify Jehovah is in mind and practice to
recognise Him as the _holy_ God, the Lord who is _absolute_
(absolutus), free from the limitations which hinder all
other beings from carrying their wills into full operation,
and to believe with the whole heart that God does and can
govern all things according to the counsel of His own will,
and that what He determines does certainly come to pass,
however probabilities and appearances may be against the
belief (Num. xx. 12; Deut. xxxii. 51; Isa. xxix. 23). To
the nation which thus sanctifies Jehovah, He (says Isaiah)
will be their sanctuary--their protection against all their
enemies. Such was His original covenant with both the
houses of Israel, and it still holds good. If, therefore,
they will break and renounce it, it becomes a
stumbling-block to them. When their statesmen endeavour to
remedy present mischief and secure future prosperity, by
craftily playing off against one another the nations who
they cannot hope to match by force, they are attempting to
go counter to the whole plan of Jehovah's government, and
they will do it only to their own confusion.--_Strachey._
[2] H. E. I. 4137-4139.
[3] The prophet, and such as were on his side, were not to call
that _kesher_ which the great mass of the people called
_kesher_ (cf. 2 Chron. xxiii. 13, "She said, Treason,
treason! _Kesher, kesher!"); . . . the reference is to the
conspiracy, as it was called, of the prophet and his
disciples. The same thing happened to Isaiah as to Amos
(Amos vii. 10) and to Jeremiah. Whenever the prophets were
at all zealous in their opposition to the appeal for
60
foreign aid, they were accused and branded as standing in
the service of the enemy, and conspiring for the overthrow
of the kingdom.--_Delitzsch._
viii. 13. _Sanctify the Lord of hosts Himself; and let Him
be your fear, &c._
FOOTNOTES:
In God "we live, and move, and have our being." We cannot be
61
independent of, or indifferent to, Him, as we can in regard to some
of our fellow-men. There can be no neutrality between Him and us. We
must be obedient or disobedient to Him, and therefore we must find in
Him our refuge or our ruin--our helper or our destroyer. That this
vast truth may be received in our minds, let us take it somewhat in
detail.
62
+III. We have to do with God in Redemption.+ In Christ, God is
revealed, and therefore we are not to be surprised when we see this
great Old Testament truth conspicuously illustrated in Him. In the
New Testament we are distinctly taught that neutrality in regard to
Christ is impossible (Matt. xii. 30; 2 Cor. ii. 16; Matt.
xxii. 37-44). Not to accept His salvation, is to reject it; not to
submit to His authority, is to rebel against it. We cannot choose
whether we will have to do with Christ or not! All that we can decide
is the nature of the relationship that shall subsist between us. We
can make Him our sanctuary, and then all blessing is ours; or we can
refuse to do this, and then He becomes to us a stumbling-block and a
snare. Not as the result of any vindictive action on His part, but as
the inevitable result of the working of our own nature and of the
constitution of the universe. 1. The phrase, "Gospel-hardened,"
represents a terrible reality (H. E. I. 2439-2442). 2. By our
rejection of Christ, and consequent rebellion against His authority,
we put ourselves on the side of those powers of evil which He is
pledged to destroy, and then His very Almightiness, which would have
insured our salvation, becomes our ruin, just as the very same force
of wind and wave, which would carry a vessel rightly steered into the
desired haven, hurls it when wrongly steered as a miserable wreck on
the rocks outside.
Thus, in all the realms of life, we must have God with us or against
us; and if God be against us, we have cause to lament that He is
God--a being whom we cannot resist, from whom we cannot escape.
Therefore, 1. _Let us recognise what the realities of our position
are._ Let us not go on to eternal ruin through ignorance or
heedlessness. 2. _Let us make God our "sanctuary."_ We may do this.
He invites us to do it. Having done it, everything in Him that
otherwise would terrify us will be to us a cause of joy (Rom. v. 11).
FOOTNOTES:
63
This prophecy refers to our Lord Jesus Christ, and it has had a
threefold fulfilment. It was fulfilled--+1. In His own personal
history.+ When He was made manifest to Israel He was so contrary to
their conceptions of what the Messiah would be--in the lowliness of
His condition, in the spirituality of the kingdom He set up, and,
above all, in the ignominiousness of the death He accomplished at
Jerusalem,--that they "stumbled at" and rejected Him. +2. In the
experience of His disciples in all ages.+ In them He has been again
despised and rejected. This He foresaw and predicted (John xv. 18-21,
&c.). In the world there is an irreconcilable hatred of Christ as He
reappears in His people (Gal. iii. 28, 29). +3. In the hostility
which faithful preaching has always created.+ The preaching of the
Gospel is the preaching of Christ (Acts v. 42; 1 Cor. i. 23; 2 Cor.
iv. 5). The great evangelical doctrines all centre in and flow from
"Christ and Him crucified," and can never be clearly and faithfully
proclaimed without awakening the disgust and enmity of the carnal
heart. They necessarily humble sinful men, and they hate to be
humbled. The offence of the cross is not yet ceased; multitudes still
stumble at the truth, being disobedient.
viii. 16-18.
64
more fitting season? Nay, but--+I. Let him betake himself in prayer
to God+ (ver. 16). Let him pray especially that Divine truth may be
kept in the hearts of the few who have been led to receive it.[1]
+II. Let him wait upon God+ with immovable confidence that His truth
shall yet prevail in the earth (ver. 17). Thus did the Primitive
Christians, the Puritans, and the Covenanters in the evil days in
which they lived. +III. Let him recognise and glory in the position
he occupies+ (ver. 18). He and his spiritual children are God's
witnesses (Isa. xliv. 8); what position could be more honourable? Let
them not shrink from its conspicuousness (Phil. ii. 15); let them not
be disheartened by the singularity it involves (H. E. I. 1032-1045,
3906, 3914; P. D. 1188). Amid all that is depressing and threatening
in the position to which they have been Divinely called, let them
remember their Lord's declarations (Matt. x. 32; Rev. iii. 5).
FOOTNOTES:
65
and constant, in the other it is but partial and temporary. In the
one case it is in anger, in the other it is in love (Rev. iii. 19).
3. The modes in which He hides Himself. (1) In the cloud of
providential darkness--affliction, bereavement, &c. (Isa. l. 10)
(2) In the withholding of the conscious enjoyment of religion (Job
xv. 11; xxii. 2).[2] +III. The resolve of the believer under this
visitation.+ In nothing does the grace of God shine more unmistakably
than in the way in which the Christian bears trouble. "Behold, this
evil is of the Lord; why should I wait for the Lord any longer?" said
a wicked man of old; but "I will look unto the Lord, and will wait
for Him," is the prophet's resolve. 1. As to _looking_ for Him.
(1.) _For whom_ do we look? For our God--our Father--our Friend--our
Deliverer. (2.) _Where_ shall we look for Him? He is near, though
concealed. Then look for Him in Christ, in whom He is reconciling the
world unto Himself, in whom He is well pleased even with us. Look for
Him in His promises--in His ordinances--in your closet. (3.) _How_
shall we look for him? With faith--zeal--energy--determination (Job
xxxv. 10; Jer. xxix. 13). 2. As to _waiting_ for Him. This is a state
of mind frequently enjoined and commended in the Bible. Waiting
implies faith--desire--patience (P. D. 2643). When you have found
Him, fall at His feet and confess your unworthiness. Resolve to
follow Him fully. Cleave to Him with purpose of heart. Pray, "Abide
with me!"--_George Smith, D.D._
FOOTNOTES:
66
His face from us because of any caprice in His nature_ (Jas.
i. 16-17). IV. _If God does hide His face from us, it is only on
account of our sinfulness._ This is the dark atmosphere in which God
becomes lost to us (chap. lix. 1, 2). V. Consequently, _if God's face
is hidden from us, it is at once our only hope and our positive duty
to wait upon Him_ (Jas. iv. 8). Let us wait for Him and look for Him.
1. Penitently. 2. Believingly. 3. Patiently. Then will the Lord turn
us again; He will cause His face to shine upon us, and we shall be
saved.--_William Manning._
NECROMANCY.
This was one of the watchwords of the Reformation, and since then it
has been a favourite text with Protestants. The noble Sixth Article
of the Church of England[1] is but an extension of it. It assumes
67
that there is one standard of truth, one infallible oracle, to which
in all their moral perplexities and spiritual difficulties, it is the
wisdom, if not the duty, of all men to appeal. And _we_ are persuaded
that we have this standard, this oracle, in the Bible (H. E. I. 543).
If men neglect it,--if they strive to construct a creed or direct
their conduct without it, two things are certain: 1. _They lack the
knowledge and wisdom essential to success in life._ Their neglect of
it shows that they have no light in them.[2] 2. _There await them
disappointment, disaster, and despair._ This is the teaching of the
other beautiful translation which many eminent scholars have adopted:
"To the teaching of God, and to the testimony! If they do not
according to this word, they are _a people for whom no morning
dawns_" (H. E. I. 641).
"But all who consult the Bible do not obtain from it sure guidance:
the proof of this is the difference among those who consult it, both
as to belief and practice. In support of the most absurd doctrines
and the most pernicious practices, the authority of Scripture is
claimed." True, but the error lies not in "the law," but in the men
who refer to it.[3] If the Bible is to be really helpful to us, we
must consult it _honestly_ (H. E. I. 573, 574, 4854). _Humbly_
(H. E. I. 387-389, 562-567, 587, 599). _With a constant recognition
of our help of the Holy Spirit_ (H. E. I. 622, 623, 2877-2882).
_Prayerfully_ (H. E. I. 570, 571, 598, 4856). _Diligently_ (H. E. I.
576-580; P. D. 315). _Intelligently._ (1.) In regard to the subjects
concerning which we seek instruction (H. E. I. 540-542, 558-560).
(2.) In regard to our interpretation[4] and application of its
utterances (H. E. I. 544-550, 568, 569). The man who thus uses the
Bible[5] will be cheered as he advances in life by a dawn that will
brighten and broaden into perfect day. He will be led by it to
Christ, "The Light of the world," and following Him in loving
obedience and unswerving loyalty, he will find the declaration for
ever true, "He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but
shall have the light of life."
FOOTNOTES:
68
government of the Church, common to human actions and
societies, which are so ordered by the light of nature and
Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the
Word, which are always to be observed.
UNSANCTIFIED SUFFERING.
viii. 21, and ix. 13. _And they shall pass through it, &c._
69
+I. Sin leads to suffering.+ 1. This is true of _individuals_
(H. E. I. 4603-4612). But because there is another life and a future
retribution, the full results of sin are frequently not seen in this
life. Nay, the sinner often appears prosperous, even to the end (Ps.
lxxiii. 3-5). 2. But in the case of _nations,_ which as such have no
immortality, it is otherwise (P. D. 2544); it is more prompt; it is
often exceedingly terrible. This fact should make those who have any
love for their children hostile to any national policy that is
unrighteous, however politically "expedient" it may seem. +II. There
is in suffering no sanctifying power.+ God may use it as a means of
arresting the careless, or of making good men better, but there is in
it no certain reformative energy. On the contrary it may harden men
in iniquity.[1] +III. Suffering does nothing in itself to abate God's
anger against sinners.+ We, when we are wronged, often yield to a
passion of vindictiveness, which is sated when we have succeeded in
inflicting a certain amount of pain on the wrong-doer. But God's
anger is not vindictive, but righteous (H. E. I. 2288-2294); hence
its terribleness. As it does not thirst for suffering, it is not
satisfied by suffering. As long as the sinner holds to his sin, God's
anger will burn against him, irrespective altogether of the suffering
he may have endured. Nothing will turn away that anger but a genuine
repentance (ix. 13).
FOOTNOTES:
(_Missionary Sermon._)
The prophecies contained in this text are of a mixed kind; they are
partly fulfilled and partly unfulfilled. We have the authority of the
Evangelists to apply the passage to Gospel times, and to prevent it
from being restricted to the Jews (Matt. iv. 14-16; Luke i. 79;
ii. 32). Let us consider--
+I. The view taken by the Prophet of the moral state of the world
previous to the glorious change which makes the subject of his
prophecy.+ 1. _The people are represented as walking in darkness._
Darkness is an emblem of ignorance and error; and an emblem the most
striking.[1] 2. _But darkness alone appears to the mind of the
Prophet only a faint emblem of the state of the heathen:_ he adds,
therefore, "the shadow of death." In Scripture this expression is
used for the darkness of that subterranean mansion into which the
70
Jews supposed the souls of men went after death. Figuratively, the
expression is used for great distress; a state of danger and fear at
the same time. Such is the state of the heathen. The religion of the
heathen has ever been gloomy and horrible. 3. _The Prophet adds
another note of the state of the heathen:_ Thou hast multiplied the
nation, and not increased the joy.[2] He beholdeth them increasing in
number only to multiply their misery.[3] Universal experience proves
that misery is multiplied when God and truth are unknown. In this
case there is no redeeming principle; the remedy is lost; despair
completes the wretchedness of the people, and were it not for the
prospects opened by the Gospel, that despair would be final and
absolute. Here, however, the text breaks upon us with a glorious and
cheering view. The Prophet beholds a light rising in obscurity; a
great light dispels the heavy gloom; comfort, joy, and salvation dawn
upon the earth (ver. 2).
71
world, there would have been too much of man in them, and we might
have doubted the result (Jud. vii. 2). The victory shall be eminently
of God. For the battle shall be, not "with confused noise, and
garments rolled in blood, but with burning and fuel of fire." The
demonstration of the Spirit, the power of God, is here compared to
fire. The Spirit, in His saving operations, is always in Scripture
compared to the most powerful principles in nature--to the rain and
dew, to wind, to thunder, to fire. All these images denote His
efficiency and the suddenness of the success; and the extent of the
benefit shall proclaim the victory to be the Lord's. We have seen the
effect of this vital influence at home; and we may, in some degree,
conjecture what will be done abroad. Yet perhaps something very
remarkable may take place, as is intimated in the text; some peculiar
exertion of the Divine power upon the mind of the world.
+IV.+ But it may be said, "is not all this a splendid vision? You
speak of weak instruments effecting a miraculous success; of the
display and operation of a supernatural power touching the hearts of
men and changing the moral state of the world, but what is the ground
of this expectation?" This natural and very proper question our text
answers (vers. 6, 7). In these verses we have +the grounds of that
expectation of success which we form as to missionary efforts.+ The
plan of Christianising the world is not ours; it was laid in the mind
of God before the world was. The principal arrangements of the scheme
are not left to us, but are already fixed by the infinite wisdom of
God. The part we fill is very subordinate; and we expect success, not
for the wisdom or the fitness of the means themselves, but because
they are connected with mightier motives, whose success is rapid, and
whose direction is Divine; because God has formed a scheme of
universal redemption, to be gradually but fully developed; because He
has given gifts to the world, the value of which is in every age to
be more fully demonstrated; and because He has established offices in
the person of Christ, which He is qualified to fill to the full
height of the Divine idea (text).
Our text has set before us the moral misery of the human race; the
purpose of God to remove it by the diffusion of His truth and grace;
the means chosen for this purpose; and the ground of that certain
success which must attend the application of the prescribed means
under the Divine blessing. It now only remains for me to invite you
to such a co-operation in this great work as your own ability and the
importance of the enterprise demand.--_Richard Watson,_ "Works," vol.
iv. pp. 206-224.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] As the pall of darkness is drawn over the world, the fair
face of nature fades from the sight; every object becomes
indistinct, or is wholly obscured, and all that can cheer
the sight or direct the steps of man vanishes. So the
gradual accumulation of religious errors, thickening with
every age, banished the knowledge of God and His truth from
the understandings of men, till all that was sublime in
speculation, cheering to the heart, supporting to the
hopes, or directive to the actions of men, passed away from
the soul, and left the intellectual world like that of
72
nature when deprived of light. The heaven of the soul was
hung with blackness, and "their foolish heart was
darkened."--_Watson._
73
THE JOY OF HARVEST.
FOOTNOTES:
74
time. Every family lived upon its own inheritance and upon
the produce of its own land. Consequently if harvest
failed, all failed. They expressed their great joy by
solemn offerings to the Lord. Not a field was reaped before
the wave-sheaf was placed upon the altar; and when it had
been waved there, amidst the loud thanksgiving of the
people, before the Lord of the whole land, the messengers
from the Temple carried the proclamation to the husbandman,
in the field, "Put ye in the sickle and reap!"--_Thodey._
75
for all that is to follow, teaching us to expect something beyond the
ordinary works of God. He is "wonderful" in His incarnation, in His
government, in the counsels He originates, in the divinity of His
nature, in the eternity of His existence, in the results of His
mediatorial rule, for He is "the Prince of Peace," swaying the
sceptre of mercy over an apostate and disordered world. There is a
beautiful consistency in all this; for if the government of earth and
heaven, the sovereignty of the Church and of the world, is to be
exercised by the Redeemer, it is necessary that He should be
possessed of attributes equal to the immense responsibilities. But
these attributes are His, and hence the command, "Rejoice, for the
Lord reigneth!" +I. It is a cause of peculiar rejoicing to all good
men that the government of the world is in the hands of Christ.+
Their interest and joy in this fact arise--1. From the near and
sacred relation in which Jesus stands to them. 2. From the glorious
perfectness of His character, which guarantees the wisdom and
blessedness of His sway. 3. From the changelessness, perpetuity, and
destined universality of His rule. +II. The sovereignty of Christ
affords great relief in contemplating the abject condition of the
heathen world.+ The heathen have been given to Him for His
inheritance, and He will certainly deliver them from the
superstitions and miseries by which they are oppressed. +III. This
fact gives us a deep interest in beholding the vast extent of the
universe of God.+ Every part of it is but a province in Christ's
boundless empire.--_Samuel Thodey._
76
is as much _His_ as it is _theirs_ (H. E. I. 952-961).--_J. H. Evans,
M.A.: Thursday Penny Pulpit,_ vol. vii. pp. 336-348.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Oh, how "wonderful" must He be, that suits Himself to the
cares of all, as if He had but one! cares for each as much
as He cares for all, and cares for each as if he _were_
all! We are lost in this deep. I sometimes get some light
from this thought:--Why, the sun can shine into the attic
as well as into the Queen's palace; it occasions no
difficulty to the sun. Blessed Jesus! there is no
difficulty for Thee to supply all our minutest wants; in
Thee there is the abundance of power, and quite as great an
abundance of love.--_J. H. Evans, M.A._
77
profession, conformity to the will of God, and true wisdom, are more
and more strongly impressed upon his mind. He doubts no more. He has
arrived at a decision. Christ's counsel has prevailed. It is our
privilege thus to be directed at every stage and in every vicissitude
of life.
+II. Why we should take Christ for our Counsellor.+ Because in Him
are all the qualities that would cause us to value and seek the
counsel of an earthly friend--tenderness, wisdom, and power. He can
help us to carry out His counsels.
+III. What will the effects of making Christ the Man of our counsel?+
1. _A special consistency of Christian conduct._ Inconsistency arises
from listening to contradictory advisors; sometimes going to Christ,
and sometimes taking counsel from flesh and blood. 2. _A conformity
and likeness to Christ._ You will learn to love what He loves, and to
desire what He promises. In the man who constantly makes Christ his
counsellor, there is begotten a spirituality of mind, a deadness to
the world, a fixedness of purpose, a cheerfulness of temper, a
self-possession and patience, which are scarcely conceivable and
quite invaluable. A man is powerfully influenced by the company he
keeps--whether it be refined and moral, or coarse and profligate.
What, then, must be the effect of habitual intercourse with the Lord
of light and grace and glory? 3. _A preparedness for Christ's
presence in heaven._ What is the bliss of heaven? It is the vision
of the Almighty; unclouded and uninterrupted intercourse with the
Saviour and Lord of all. The more we have cultivated this here, the
more fitted we shall be for it hereafter.--_Josiah Bateman, M.A.:
Sermons,_ pp. 1-18.
78
men, because of His identity with them in their experience, can never
be to us, what it has been to missions, one of the most comforting
and strengthening of all thoughts (Heb. ii. 17, 18; iv. 15; H. E. I.
872, 954). +II.+ It is equally necessary that we should hold firmly
+the doctrine of His Deity.+ That He is "the mighty God" is the
testimony, 1. Of His _works_ (Matt. xiv. 32, 33, &c.). 2. Of His
_words_ (John vi. 48; vii. 37; viii. 12; &c.; H. E. I. 836, 840-842).
This doctrine pervades the New Testament (H. E. I. 835, 838). The sum
of its teaching concerning Him is, that in Him God was manifest, that
He is the true God (1 Tim. iii. 16; 1 John v. 20). It is not only one
of the profoundest of all doctrines, it is the most practical. Let me
doubt it, and how can Christ be to me a Saviour? How can He be more
to me than any other eminently holy and wise man who died centuries
ago, or yesterday? 1. What comfort can I derive from the declaration
that He died for me? Could a _man_ atone for the sins of the whole
world, for my sins? 2. What comfort can I derive from the declaration
that He now lives and is in heaven? If so, as a _man,_ doubtless, He
will sympathise with me, but how can I be assured in times of
distress and danger I raise? or that, if He hears me, He is able to
help?
FOOTNOTES:
"Mighty Hero."--_Gresenius._
79
"Counsellor of God, Mighty."--_Carpenter._
I. Jesus Christ is the father of the eternity that lies before us,
the father of the for ever, because He Himself lives for ever. He has
it. Observe, this is true of the Second Person of the Godhead in
human nature. The connection of the text will not permit us to forget
that. It is the Child born and the Son given who is said to live for
ever. That is a great thought; the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ in
humanity is to live for ever is a stupendous expectation and belief.
Sometimes it has seemed to me as it were more wonderful even than the
Incarnation. It seems as if it would have been less strange for the
Son of God, for some great purpose, to have clothed Himself with a
creature's nature, and then, having accomplished that purpose, to
have laid down that nature as a thing too far down from the Infinite
to be worn for ever. But now the wonder is, that having made Himself
our kinsman, He is to be our Head for ever, and is never to cease to
wear the human nature in which He died on Calvary. That this is an
important thought appears from two considerations. 1. It is part of
the Divine promise of the Father to our Lord, and it is a thing for
which our Lord prayed as part of His Father's promise (compare Isa.
liii. 10, Ps. lxxii. 15; xxi. 4). 2. It implies that His work was
finished to His Father's satisfaction. It is clearly spoken of as a
80
reward for work well done. Hence this title "Father of
eternity"--hath in germ within it the great facts of Christ's death,
resurrection, ascension, and session in glory (comp. Rev. i. 18).
From this fact two inferences can be drawn, both of a most
consolatory and joyful character. 1. To God's people. What a Saviour
they have! They need never fear that they will find a world in all
the universe where He is not with them, and they cannot live on to
any age when He shall cease to be their light and King. 2. The same
thing brings comfort to every sinner (Heb. vii. 25). Do not lose
yourselves in a great general thought of Christ living for ever;
rather narrow the broad and grand conception, and fasten it down upon
the present fleeting moment. Christ lives _now,_ and lives
_here_--lives _here_ and _now_ to save the sinner and bless the
saint. Apply to Him, and rejoice in Him that liveth now and for ever
and ever.
How peaceful was the scene when the first Sabbath shone upon this
world! How reversed was the scene when sin entered to revolutionise
it! Think of the widespread and woful war which sin has entailed on
this world, and see the need of such a Prince as our text reveals to
restore the primitive peace. See, too, the magnitude of the work to
which the Redeemer stands appointed when He is presented in the
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character of a pacificator who is to bring this strife to a happy
conclusion for man.
II. THE PRINCIPAL ARTICLES OF THAT PEACE OF WHICH CHRIST IS, OR SHALL
YET BE, THE MINISTERING PRINCE TO ALL WHO BELIEVE ON HIM. 1. He hath
effected reconciliation between God and man. 2. In Christ we cease to
war against ourselves. 3. Our Prince hath reconciled us to the
angels. 4. Reconciliation is effected between Jew and Gentile (Eph.
ii. 14-16). 5. The general reconciliation of man to man, the
destruction of selfishness, and the diffusion of benevolence Christ
came by His dying for all, to teach that all were as brethren, and
ought to regard one another with fraternal affection. How much the
world required this lesson! How imperfectly it has been learned
(H. E. I., 884).--_William Anderson, L.L.D.; Christian World Pulpit,_
vol. x. pp. 392-394.
If any man asks, "Concerning whom does the Prophet write these
things?" the answer is, "Concerning Christ." "Of the increase of
_His_ government and peace there shall be no end."[1] The world has
seen many great empires, that bade fair to be everlasting, crumble
82
away; and in view of the history of the past, it is unreasonable to
believe that any modern empire, except so far as it is obedient to
Christ, will be more durable. This is a world of change, and it is
vain to hope that political revolutions are altogether things of the
past. Two thousand years hence, should the present era so long
continue, the map of this will be very different from what it is
to-day. But the empire of Christ is to continue for ever. Unlike all
other empires, it is to be continually progressing in extent and
cohesion.
_What are our grounds for believing this?_ +I. The distinct promises
of Scripture+ (Ps. ii. 8, xxii. 27, lxxxii. 8-11; Dan. vii. 13, 14).
For a Christian this is sufficient. But even to those whose reverence
for God's Word is most profound and unquestioning, it is interesting
to see--+II.+ That +the nature of things+[2] is all in favour of the
fulfilment of this prediction. Under this division of our subject,
look at some of the differences between all human empires and the
empire of Christ. 1. As to their _origin._ They have usually been
created by the genius and energy of some great man. But even such men
as David, Alexander, and Cæsar are mortal, and because it is
impossible to secure a constant succession of men of genius, the
empires they found crumble away. To David and Solomon succeeds a
Rehoboam, and Rehoboam means ruin. But Christ wields the enormous
"power of an endless life."[3] 2. As to their _progress._ (1.) Vast
empires fall to pieces by reason of their very vastness. Time brings
many changes even to great empires, and among them at least a
temporary weakening of the central power; the heart is enfeebled, and
the whole body is enfeebled and begins to decay. (2.) Great empires
afford multiplied opportunities for great corruption, and this
ultimately kills a state. (3.) Great empires include many conflicting
interests; there is a perpetual struggle to maintain the balance of
power; mutinies and rebellions are inevitable, and in the end some of
these are successful, and the empire is broken. But none of these
things can happen in the empire of Christ; none of these causes will
tend to check the increase of _His_ government. 3. As to their
_aims._ This is a consideration even more important and vital than
the others. All empires have really had for their aim the
aggrandisement of some ambitious man or nation. The inspiring motive
has been supremely selfish. Hence fraud and force have been
unhesitatingly employed for their advancement, and, because God
really rules on earth as well as in heaven, these things, though they
secure a temporary triumph, ultimately lead to inevitable ruin
(H. E. I. 4612, P. D. 2544, 2995). By similar means the great empire
has to be maintained, and in every part of it there are millions
watching for an opportunity to subvert it by the same means; because
its aims are selfish, it is hated, not loved, by those over whom it
triumphs. But the inspiring aims of Christ's empire are righteousness
and peace; it is to extend these blessings that His limitless
resources are employed; the manner in which these resources is
employed is in accordance with the ends sought; and hence (1) all the
laws of God's universe are on His side, and (2) He is loved most
intensely precisely by those over whom His authority is most
completely established.[4] +III.+ If any further confirmations of our
faith in Christ's ultimate triumph is needed, we have it in +the
history of the world since His crucifixion.+ When He was crucified
they nailed over His head the inscription, "THE KING OF THE JEWS." It
was intended to be an act of mockery; it was the declaration of a
83
great truth. And since then He has become the King of the Gentiles
also. The mighty empire that tried to stop the progress of His
kingdom was ground to powder in the conflict. And now by all the most
powerful kingdoms of the earth He is, nominally at least,
acknowledged as the supreme Authority. That which is nominal shall
become real (Rev. xi. 15).
FOOTNOTES:
[1] _Upon the throne of David._ This was in accordance with the
promise made to David (1 Kings viii. 25; 2 Sam. vii. 12,
13; Ps. cxxxii. 11). This promise was understood as
referring to the Messiah. The primary idea is, that He
should be descended in the line of David, and accordingly
the New Testament writers are often at pains to show that
the Lord Jesus was of that family (Luke ii. 4). When it is
said that He would sit upon the throne of David, it is not
to be taken literally. The peculiarity of the reign of
David was, that _he reigned over the people of God._ . . .
To sit upon the throne of David, therefore, means to reign
over the people of God; and in this sense the Messiah sits
on his throne.--_Barnes._
84
THE SECURITY FOR THE FULFILMENT OF GOD'S PROMISES.
It may be affirmed with equal truth, that from what zeal is in man we
may know what it is in God; and that from what zeal is in man we
cannot tell what it is in God (H. E. I. 2229-2240). We can tell what
its nature is, but we cannot tell its power. 1. Zeal is in man an
intense passionateness of desire for the accomplishment of some
purpose; this leads to an energy and continuity of action that in
many cases triumphs over obstacles, and accomplishes what seemed
impossible. True zeal in man is intelligent, calm, persistent, and
unweariable; and all this we know it must be in God. 2. But what its
power is in God we cannot tell. Water in the mass, and fire in the
mass, is an utterly different thing from water or fire on a small
scale.[1] "The zeal of the Lord of hosts" is a tremendous conception
which the mind cannot grasp.
85
(H. E. I. 1063-1071, 1106, 1112-1119). By and by there is to be a
great gathering of Christ's ransomed ones in the heavenly world, and
this will then be their grateful acknowledgement (Josh. xxiii. 14).
Meanwhile, whensoever in our search of the Scriptures we find a
promise specially adapted to our needs, let us lay hold of it, saying
with joyful confidence, "The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform
_this!_"
FOOTNOTES:
86
come down upon them instantly with destructive force. What a proof we
have here that, while He is inflexibly righteous, He is tenderly
pitiful! And what an encouragement we have here to return to Him with
penitence of heart![5]
FOOTNOTES:
[5] H. E. I. 2286.
God here complains of what Israel did when grievous and prolonged
afflictions, sent by God, fell upon them:[1] then they left undone
what they ought to have done, and did what they ought not to have
done; and this opens up the great subject of _the duty of the
afflicted._
87
+II.+ Their DUTY is--1. +To recognise that their afflictions come
from God.+ This is a fact that wicked men are very slow to recognise;
they prefer to attribute their troubles to "bad luck,"
miscalculations on their part, superior ingenuity or force on the
part of their human adversaries, &c. They prefer anything to a
recognition of the awful fact that it is God who is dealing with them
(H. E. I. 143). 2. +Submission to the will of God.+ This is
frequently the result of recognition that the affliction comes from
Him; men cease to use such language as is attributed to the
Israelites (ver. 10). Were it not that sin dethrones the reason, this
would always be the case; but it is not so,--men can be found so
hardened in iniquity that they resolve to fight against God.
Stoutheartedness in affliction is an admirable thing; there is a
place for it; but it is utterly misplaced when it leads men to
struggle against the Almighty. The only and inevitable result is
heavier affliction and ultimate ruin (vers. 11-14. H. E. I. 146,
147).[2] 3. +Repentance toward God.+ (1.) Repentance is more than
submission (H. E. I. 4206-4209). (2.) God will be satisfied with
nothing less than change of heart towards Him. (3.) Here we reach one
of the most terrible results of iniquity; by it men are incapacitated
for naturally doing that which is indispensable to their salvation.
Did not God pity sinful men, they could never attain to that state of
heart and mind without which it would be impossible for God to
forgive them. But Christ has been "exalted . . . for to _give_
repentance and forgiveness of sins." With the outward stroke of
affliction there comes to the heart the inward grace of Christ: let
transgressors be prompt to submit to the one, and to avail themselves
of the other (H. E. I. 145, 4210).
These, then, are the duties of sinful men upon whom affliction has
come. Let your compliance with them be--1. +Prompt.+ Not to comply
with them is to perish. Not to comply with them promptly is an
aggravation of all your former iniquity (H. E. I. 4247, 4248). By
delay you may exhaust the Divine patience (Prov. xxix. 1).
2. +Thankful.+ Adore the benignity of God, in that He is willing to
receive you on your mere repentance; a repentance which He Himself
enables you to exercise. Remember that where God sees it, He does not
merely turn away His chastisements from the penitent transgressor; He
receives him into His favour, and blesses him as a son in whom He
delights (Luke xv. 22, 23). Men do not act so. When their foes
submit, they require from them an indemnity for the wrong that has
been done; often an indemnity that is intended to be crushing,
_e.g.,_ Germany and France. But God in all His dealings with penitent
sinners shows Himself to be a God of grace (Micah vii. 18, 19).
3. +Intelligent.+ Do not imagine that there is anything meritorious
in your repentance (H. E. I. 4225-4228). Remember that God thus deals
with you solely for Christ's sake, through whose atonement it has
become possible for Him to show mercy to penitent transgressors. Here
is an additional argument for the exercise of repentance, that God
Himself, at so great a cost, had laid the foundation on which He can
deal with you otherwise than in the way of justice. If you persist in
your iniquity, and by your stubbornness leave Him no alternative but
to destroy you, He will be able with absolute truth to say to each of
you, "Thou hast destroyed thyself!" Even in pronouncing judgment upon
you, He will clear himself; as did our Lord when He left Jerusalem to
its fate (Matt. xxiii. 37, 38).[3]
88
FOOTNOTES:
LEADERSHIP.[1]
89
need the most thoughtful instruction concerning it. 2. There are many
false forms of religion seeking to win acceptance (Matt. xxiv. 24;
2 Pet. ii. 1; 1 John iv. 1). 3. The natural tendency of the human
heart inclines it to the acceptance of those forms of faith which are
most unscriptural. This is the real secret to the power of Romanism.
To-day, therefore, the people still need religious leaders, and
leaders of the highest order. Even with the Bible in their hands,
most men need guidance (Acts ix. 30, 31). Woe to them, if they take
as their guides men who have not themselves been taught of the Holy
Ghost!
+II. Leadership involves for the leaders the highest honour or the
deepest shame.+ Many aspire to lead: few think of the difficulties
and responsibilities of leadership. 1. _The man who leads his
fellow-men well is entitled to the highest honour._ He cannot do it
without noble qualities of mind and heart. Those who are well-led
are, as a rule, not slow to acknowledge and reward the service that
has been rendered them. 2. _But leadership does not necessarily
involve any honour at all._ The post of prominence may only bring out
into view the leader's incompetency, mental and moral. "The fierce
light that beats upon a throne," and upon a pulpit, reveals every
speck and flaw in its occupant. It is a perilous thing to exchange
the pew for the pulpit. 3. _Through leadership a man may reach the
most utter degradation and shame._ He may do this (1.) through his
_incompetency._ Admiral Byng might have lived and died a respectable
English gentleman, if he had not been made an admiral. Many envied
him when he was so gazetted: none envied him when he was shot. Many a
"stickit minister" would have made a highly respectable and useful
church-member. (2.) Through his _dishonesty._ Many a leader, claiming
to be the head of a community, has really been its "tail," carried by
it, not carrying it on in paths of truth and honesty. His aim has
been, not the welfare of his followers, but his own aggrandisement
and popularity; his concern has been, not to speak the truth, but to
say what would be pleasant. His was the sin of many who claimed to be
prophets in Israel (Isaiah iii. 12, v. 20; Jer. v. 31). It is a
common sin to-day, both in the political and religious world. Let
those who claim to be ministers of God shun it. Self-seeking,
everywhere despicable, is in the pulpit most hateful and criminal
(P. D. 2482). Let every preacher regard as warnings those base
prophets of Israel; let him endeavour to realise that wonderful
picture of a true leader drawn by Christ's enemies (Matt. xxii. 16).
90
FOOTNOTES:
+I. God's feelings toward young men.+ He has "joy" in them, a fact of
which young men seldom think. Doubtless He has joy in them,
1. because of what they are; and 2. because of what they may become.
He has this joy in them as their Creator. The great Artist has a
delight in all His works (Gen. i. 31; Prov. viii. 31). Young men are
a realisation, more or less perfect, of a thought, an ideal in the
Divine mind. Strength and comeliness of body, courage and vivacity of
mind, modesty and generosity of heart, are the ideal characteristics
of a young man, and precisely as they are actually found in any young
man, God has "joy" in him, just as He has joy in the strength of the
horse, the beauty of the swan, or the melody that is poured forth by
the lark or the nightingale. We frequently see a young man who is
obviously a glorious work of God; and had not sin so terribly cursed
and marred our race, all young men would have been such as the
British youths whose beauty called forth the old pleasant jest, "Not
Angles but angels."
All this is, of course, equally true of young women. For the Bible is
in this respect to be interpreted like our English laws, concerning
which it is decreed that the word "man" shall mean "woman" also in
all cases in which nature herself does not forbid such an
interpretation. A young woman is more than a pleasing mass of flesh
and blood; she is a realisation of a thought of God, a work of the
unseen Artist, to whom all that is beautiful in the universe owes its
existence.[1] Many a young woman is so beautiful that the human
artist counts himself happy indeed if he can make on the canvas any
fair transcript of her loveliness; and, what is better still, the
beautiful body is but a casket in which a more beautiful body is
enshrined.
Young men and women, think of this--God delights in you! What effects
will a realisation of this thought have upon you? 1. _It will check
that vanity by which the strength of the young man and the beauty of
the young woman are often so pitifully marred_ (1 Cor. iv. 7). 2. _It
will cause you to reverence yourselves._ Those who think that no one
91
cares for them, are apt not to care for themselves; but consciousness
that we are observed leads us to circumspection and self-control. If
the observation be friendly and approving, it is a stimulus to
endeavour to merit it. Respect kindles self-respect. Remembering how
God looks upon you, you will shrink from doing anything that will
lessen His "joy" in you; you will not voluntarily permit faults or
vices to mar the nobleness and beauty that call it forth, any more
than the roses, if they had power of self-defence, would give a
lodgment to those insects which blight the beauty that causes
beholders to joy in them. 3. _Kindly, loving feelings toward God will
spring up in you._ Friendliness and love tend to call forth
friendship and love; just as the sunshine and rain that in early
summer descend from the natural heavens cause flowers to spring forth
from the earth.
Consider what joy God must have had in the young man Jesus of
Nazareth, and why He had it, and resolve that the same causes for
this Divine joy shall exist in you.
FOOTNOTES:
[2] There are no such promises to those who are free from
sorrow and trial as are full and abundant to the afflicted.
A good country physician in New England went to a
neighbour's house to tell a wife and mother of the sudden
death of her absent husband. She was more than ordinarily
frail and dependent. She had a large family. Her husband
had acquired no property. The fresh blow was indeed
terrible to her. When the first wild burst of sorrow was
over, she looked up through her tears to her sympathising
friend, and said in agony, "But, Doctor, _what_ shall I
do?" "My dear woman, I don't know," said the kind-hearted
physician. "All I can say is, I only wish I had as many
promises of God to take right home to myself as you have
just now. The Bible is full of promises to those who are in
your case." And the stricken woman lived to realise the
truth and preciousness of the richest of those
promises.--_Trumbull._
92
DIVINE ANGER.
ix. 17. _For all this His anger is not turned away, but His
hand is stretched out still._
FOOTNOTES:
[1] The anger which God feels and displays is always against
_sin._ It is never against sinners as offenders against
Himself personally, but as violators of the eternal laws of
righteousness and love. It is not possible for the most
daring transgressor to injure God in the slightest degree,
and therefore He can never feel anything approaching to
that personal vindictiveness which we feel against those
who have wronged us. There are some passages which at first
sight convey a different impression, as when it is said,
"Know therefore that the Lord thy God . . . repayeth them
that hate Him to their face, to destroy them; He will not
be slack to him that hateth Him; He will repay him to his
face" (Deut. vii. 10); and again, "God is jealous, and the
Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take
vengeance upon His adversaries" (Nahum i. 2). But terrible
as such passages are, they admit of a ready explanation. In
them God manifestly speaks as "the Judge of all the earth,"
as the Representative and Administrator of righteousness.
Some years ago, proclamations denouncing the severest
penalties against Fenianism were issued in the name of our
beloved Queen; but no one imagined that she cherished any
personal hostility against those offenders against her
authority. Every month it is her melancholy duty to sign
documents that consign convicted murderers to the scaffold,
but no one regards these death-warrants as any proof that
she delights in the sufferings of those whose sentence she
confirms. Nor will any thoughtful person interpret such
passages as setting forth anything else than God's resolve
to be faithful to His duties as the supreme administrator
of justice, notwithstanding that in being so He must
perform many things that are revolting to His infinite
tenderness and compassion. His expostulations with sinners
to repent and turn from their transgressions are a
sufficient confirmation of this interpretation (Ezek.
xviii. 31, 32, &c.) His anger against sin and sinners is no
passion of personal vindictiveness, but is the natural
revulsion of purity from impurity, of honesty from fraud,
of truthfulness for falsehood; this instinctive abhorrence
93
of generosity for meanness, of benevolence for malice, of
kindness for cruelty.
If God did not feel and manifest this anger against sin, it
would be impossible to respect and love Him. If He could
look down on the mean and dastardly things that are done
every day, and yet remain cold and emotionless as an
iceberg, as indifferent to the sufferings of His creatures
as some Oriental despots have been to the miseries of their
wretched subjects, our whole soul would rise up in
righteous condemnation of Him.--_R. A. B._
One of the grandest and most fearful scenes in nature is the forest
on fire. This is the figure Isaiah employs to describe the
destruction that was coming upon sinful and stubborn Israel.[1] That
destruction would not be spared and the wealthiest could not escape.
And all this woe, at which it behoved the people to tremble, is
attributed to the wickedness in which they delighted. "Wickedness
burneth as the fire"--a comprehensive statement eternally true.
94
fire of ungodliness which was kindled in one passion hastens through
the whole nature, and destroys every vestige of virtue and nobility;
it seizes every faculty of mind and heart.[2] 6. _It is remorselessly
undistinguishing in its effects._ The fair flowers and the poisonous
weeds, the stately cedars and the misshapen brambles, it consumes
alike. So again with the sinner: the wickedness that consumes him
spares nothing. In workhouses, lunatic asylums, prisons, how many
most terrible proofs there are of the truth of this declaration! Once
the owners of many choice possessions, and with prospects as fair as
those of any of us, they are now like the forest region _after_ the
fire--blackened and desolate.
From all this there are many lessons to be learned. 1. _He is a fool
who makes a sport of sin_ (Prov. x. 23). He is infinitely more
foolish than the child who plays with fire. 2. _He is a fool who does
not stamp out the fires of unholy passion the instant that he
perceives them beginning to kindle upon him._ In dealing with sin, or
in dealing with fire, our only safety lies in the promptest and most
energetic action (H. E. I. 4733, 4734).[4] 3. _Those nations are
guilty of suicidal folly who legalise vice in any form._ 4. _Those
who pander to a nation's vices are traitors of the worst
kind_.[5]--_R. A. B._
+II. The progress of a great fire.+ Place one spark amid combustible
material in London. Let it alone. What will be the result? It will
leap from point to point, house to house, street to street, until the
whole city is in flames. Sin has spread in an exactly similar way.
One sin, to the individual; one wrong action, to the family; one
immoral look, to thousands; one crime, to a kingdom. The sin of one
woman away in the East, some sixty centuries ago, has spread itself
amongst the whole race; and there is not one who has not felt, to
95
some extent, its scorching power.
+IV. The destructive energy of a great fire.+ Who can calculate the
amount of property in London alone which has been destroyed by fire?
But the destruction which sin has caused in London is infinitely
greater and more momentous. Some have bodies once beautiful, now
bloated and withered by sin. Some have feelings, once tender, now
petrified by sin. Some whole intellectual powers were once strong,
now feeble by sin. Some, who were once full of hope, now hopeless by
sin. The destruction which sin has caused is awful. And this it must
ever do to all who touch it. Avoid it, therefore, more than anything
else. Herein only is safety.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Civil war and foreign invasion shall rage through this
reprobate people like the fire with which the husbandman
clears the ground of briers and thorns. The wickedness of
the land becomes its own punishment, and burns with a fury
which is indeed the wrath of God, while its fuel is the
people themselves.--_Strachey._
96
ascending smoke. . . . In its historical manifestation,
this judgment consisted in the most inhuman
self-destruction during an anarchial civil
war.--_Delitzsch._
See also the Outline: THE TOW AND THE SPARK, pp. 69-71.
LEGALISED INJUSTICE.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] See Outlines: OPPRESSION OF THE POOR, pp. 94, 95; and THE
PLEADER AND THE JUDGE, pp. 95-97.
97
THE DAY OF VISITATION.
II. But if your lot is different from that of all other men, and no
day of sorrow ever dawns upon you, there will come to you a "day of
visitation" in the shape of DEATH. _That_ is certain! What will you
do then? To whom and to what will you flee for help? Friends,
wealth--what will be their power or value then? And "to whom will you
leave your glory?" For you will have to leave it (Ps. xlix. 16, 17;
Eccles. v. 15; 1 Tim. vi. 7). And when you have left it, what will
become of _you?_ Prepare for what which is at once so inevitable and
so momentous (H. E. I., 1562-1566).
98
urge you to prepare for this inevitable meeting with God? (H. E. I.,
3062-3066). The time to prepare is _now._ The way to prepare, you
know; put into practice that which you have been taught. Then all
these days of visitation will be transformed and stripped of their
terrors. In the day of sorrow you will have a Friend who will know
how to comfort you; in the day of death that Friend will be with you,
upholding you in all that may be involved in that profound mystery;
in the day of judgment that Friend will be the occupant of the
throne, and He will speak to you, not words that will blast you for
ever, but words that will fill you with eternal joy.
99
things away. The day of true welfare for Judah begins when the fierce
armies of Assyria come up against her (H. E. I., 3666). 2. Light is
cast upon God's estimate of holiness. So precious is it in His sight,
that He overrules even the policies of great empires for the
promotion of it among His people. It is distinctly revealed that this
is His aim in all the discipline of our personal life (Heb. xii. 10;
H. E. I., 85-90, 2842, 2843). This should be to us, then, 3. An
instruction. We should estimate holiness as God does. We should
constantly "follow" it (Heb. xii. 14; H. E. I., 2845-2848). And
besides humbly submitting to His chastisements (Lam. iii. 22), we
should thankfully acquiesce in whatever calamities He is pleased to
send upon His church or on ourselves, even though they be relatively
as terrible as an invasion by the Assyrians, remembering that His
purpose therein is to bring us back to Himself, to make us like
Himself, and so render us capable of a happiness that shall be
perfect and eternal.
THE ASSYRIAN.
We know what the Assyrians were in the history of the world. They do
not stand alone; they belong to a class of men who have appeared
again and again, and are numerously represented in the world
to-day--men of enormous force, of abounding energy, of vast ambition,
of unscrupulous determination. Such men as Ghengis-Khan,
Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander the Great, Cæsar, and Napoleon, are their
conspicuous representatives, but their representatives only. They are
to be found elsewhere than on thrones and at the head of armies. They
have been represented in the Church by ambitious and unscrupulous
popes, cardinals, and bishops not a few. They are represented among
our nobles by domineering landlords; in commerce by great
capitalists, who brook no competition, but will crush a rival at any
cost. This chapter concerns men who live in England to-day, and it
has for us more than an historic interest.
+I. The ambition of powerful men.+ Having power, they naturally and
lawfully wish to use it. The astonishing and lamentable thing is the
manner in which they delight to use it. God intends all the power
that He gives to be used for the same purposes as He uses His
own--for the upholding of weakness, the relief of the needy, the
dispensing of blessing. But almost always those to whom God intrusts
100
much power use it for self-aggrandisement. Their delight is to crush
others (vers. 13, 14; H. E. I. 243; P. D. 244). Instead of doing
their best to resemble God, they do their utmost to resemble the
devil. What a pitiable mistake! How much the ambitious man thus
loses! What a horrible perversion of the means of blessing!
+III. The real position of powerful men.+ They imagine that they are
autocrats: they really are merely instruments in the hand of God. God
will be served by us, voluntarily or involuntarily. He knows how,
without impairing the freedom of the will, to use powerful men for
the accomplishment of His purposes; in much the same way as the
miller deals with the stream that rushes past his mill--he does not
try to destroy it, or to stop it, he merely turns it in among his
wheels, and then unconsciously it uses its mighty force in doing his
work (vers. 5, 6; P. D., 2899). So it was with Pharaoh: though
resolved not to serve Jehovah (Exod. v. 2), he did serve Him most
effectively (Exod. ix. 16). So, though we may not be able in all
cases to trace it, we may be sure it is with all wicked men (Ps.
lxxvi. 10). God absolutely controls the vast universe over which He
rules: if we will not serve Him as sons, we must do it as slaves or
as tools.
+IV. The end of men who forget the source of their power, and use it
in a godless spirit.+ They are but rods in God's hand, and when He
has accomplished by them what He intended to do, He breaks them, and
casts them aside. In their folly they imagine that they can never be
broken (Ps. x. 6); yet how easy it is for Him utterly to destroy
them! Far-stretching and mighty they seem as a forest, yet how easily
is a forest destroyed by fire (vers. 16-19). God's judgments are as
axes, by which even the monarchs of the forest are brought low (vers.
33, 34). By Isaiah we are reminded of three historic instances in
which all this has been verified: the Egyptians (vers. 24, 26); the
Midianites (ver. 26); the Assyrians (vers. 17, 18, 32-34;
xxxvii. 36). If we needed any proof that God and His government of
the world are still the same, surely we have it in the history of
Napoleon I. Let the mighty nations of the earth lay these lessons to
heart (P. D., 2787). Let all who are disposed to vaunt their wealth
or power be mindful of them: the ruler or the merchant-prince of
to-day may be a beggar tomorrow (1 Sam. ii. 3, 4, 7-10; H. E. I.,
4404, 4976; P. D., 149, 1617).
101
x. 7-15. _Howbeit He meaneth not so, &c._
102
God as His children, or _for_ Him as his slaves, His tools, His
instruments. Our choice will be left perfectly free; but if we choose
to reject His paternal guidance, we shall find that all we have
secured for ourselves is merely the contemptible honour of figuring
in our small way as reprobates (Exod. ix. 15). 2. _The dignity of
human life generally,_ as being comprehended in the supreme plans of
God (Gen. xlv. 8).[2] 3. _How to regard the disappointments of life._
When things turn out differently than we "meant" or "thought," it is
useless to fret and fume against them. Instructed by God's Word, let
us humbly and reverently acquiesce in our disappointments as forming
part of a plan of God, conceived in paternal love, which is unfolding
moment by moment: each event, whether bright or dark, having its
mission from Him, and clothed with the grandeur of an unerring
counsel. If our purpose has been a righteous or beneficent one,
though it may seem for a time to have been utterly set aside, yet in
the _end_ we shall find that God has used it to further results more
important and glorious than it entered into our mind to ask or
think.[3]--_William Manning._
FOOTNOTES:
[2] See Outline: EVERY MAN'S LIFE A PLAN OF GOD, chap. xlv. 5.
A HAPPY CONVERSION.
103
are all naturally prone. We need help, and are apt to seek it in some
creature rather than in the Creator. The evil of this course is, that
thus we are kept away from God (H. E. I., 169-177). 2. _Their
dependence had been disappointed._ That on which they stayed, not
only failed them, it injured them (2 Chron. xxviii. 20; Jer. xvii. 5,
6). Creature confidence brings a curse upon us in two ways. (1) By
disappointments (Prov. xxiii. 5; Ps lxii. 9, cxlvi. 3, 4; Isa.
ii. 22). (2) By Divine rebukes (Jer. ii. 17-19; Jonah iv. 6, 7).
3. _Their folly was to be corrected by their sovereign._ They were to
be taught wisdom by the things they suffered. But, alas! men often
harden themselves against even such instruction (Isa ix. 13; Jer.
v. 3; Amos iv. 6-11). Here we see the depravity of human nature in
rendering inefficacious all these Divine chastisements. When this is
the case, there is a danger of one of two things: either that God in
anger will throw down the rod (Hos. iv. 17), or that He will fulfil
His own threatenings (Lev. xxvi. 21, 23, 24, 27, 28; H. E. I.,
145-147). God has a merciful design in all your crosses, trials, and
afflictions (H. E. I., 56-74). When this is accepted, and afflictions
thus sanctified, the penitent sufferer will put his trust in God
only. Thus the prodigal was starved back "He began to be in
want"--and it was a blessed want that led him to think of his
father's house, and resolved him to return. You have no reason to
complain when your earthly props are taken away, if thus you are
induced to take fresh hold of God.
+II. What is said of their renewed experience.+ "But shall stay upon
the Lord, the Holy One of Israel." Glance at three views of it.
1. _It is an enlightened confidence._ Confidence is the offspring
both of ignorance and wisdom; ignorance leads some persons to entrust
precious deposits to strangers or to villains, but the wise man seeks
first to know those in whom he is asked to trust. It is foolish to
trust without inquiry, and to refuse to trust the trustworthy. The
Christian stays himself upon God, because he has ascertained what His
character is (Ps. cxix. 107; 2 Tim. i. 12). 2. _Their confidence is
very extensive._ It covers all times (Ps. lxii. 8; Isa. xxvi. 4); all
events that can awaken our anxiety; every condition in which we can
be found; all that appertains to life and godliness, not only grace,
but glory; not only our journey's end, but also the way. Thus it
should be with us, but it is not always so. Strange to say, while we
readily trust God for eternal life, we often find it difficult to
trust Him for what we need in this life. How foolish is this (Rom.
viii. 32; Ps. lxxxiv. 11)! 3. _It is a blessed confidence_ (Prov.
xxix. 25; Ps. cxxv. 1; Isa. xxvi. 3; Jer. xvii. 7, 8; H. E. I.,
1191-1934; P. D., 1157, 1160).
+III. The reality of their change.+ "They shall stay upon the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel, _in truth._" This confidence is
distinguishable, 1. _from mere pretensions._ There are those who
profess to know God, but in works deny Him. It seems strange that
persons should act the hypocrite here, for what do they gain (Job
xx. 5, xxvii. 8)? 2. _From imaginary confidence._ Persons may not
endeavour to deceive others, yet they may deceive themselves (Prov.
xxx. 12). How unreal may be the confidence that seems most assured.
(Comp. Mark xiv. 27-31, with verse 50.) Therefore--
104
I will never deny Thee, Lord,
But grant, I never may."
It was under such circumstances as these that the prophets did their
chief work. It was one of their principal functions to encourage a
nation plunged into profound despondency. In this chapter, the
prophet, with words of cheer, and with an inexpressible richness of
imagery, comforts the poor, despoiled band of people, and makes them
feel that the hand of power shall not for ever be so strong against
them.
105
health, and are utterly turned away by that reason from all that they
sought._ How many they are! How full of sorrow is their lot! By
accident or disease suddenly rendered useless! Like a ship cast upon
the land, where the sun beats upon it, and the heat shrinks and
cracks it, and opens the seams wider and wider, till by and by it
drops to pieces. So it is their pitiful lot to be able to do nothing
but wait for the end. II. _Those who have misapplied their powers,
and consequently have failed._ How many give themselves to
professions for which they are utterly unfit! Every day men are
ruined because they do not know what they are, nor what they are set
to do, and are not willing to do the things which they could do, but
are aspiring to do the things they are not fitted for. III. _Men who
were adapted to their work, but were overtaxed, and who had not the
endurance which their circumstances required._ Hundreds of men, under
the intense strain of modern society, break down; and then all is
gone so far as they are concerned. IV. _A great many more break down
from a secret mismanagement of themselves._ They live in neglect or
violation of the simplest and most fundamental laws of health, or
they indulge in vices that are destructive. V. _They who have
violated the laws of society, and have been detected, convicted, and
branded with shame._ It is scarcely possible for such men, however
earnestly and honestly they may desire it, to be anything else than
mere "remnants" in society.
106
his life was passed in an ideal and future world. There he found
comfort and strength to endure the sorrows that otherwise would have
crushed him. At the outset of his ministry, when the great king who
had done so much to restore the prosperity of the nation was about to
be removed, there was vouchsafed to him a vision of the King
immortal, eternal, invisible, throned in the temple, and surrounded
by the exalted intelligences who do His will (chap. vi. 1-4); and
now, at the close of the wicked and disastrous reign of Ahaz, when
his hopes concerning his race would naturally have failed, there was
granted him a vision of a King of righteousness and peace, who on
earth would rule over a kingdom such as the world had never seen. His
soul had been stirred and appalled by a vision of disaster and woe.
He was the king of Assyria, then the terror of the earth, utterly
broken, his vast armies hewn down as forests fall before the axes of
the woodmen (chap. x. 33, 34); a vision of blood and terror which may
well have filled him with trembling. But just as sometimes the
sweetest daylight follows a night of storm, this vision of terror
fades away, and he sees--
I. A KING (chap. xi. 1-5). 1. _Royally descended,_ "a rod out of the
stem of _Jesse._" A simple farmer on the hills of Bethlehem, and yet
a father of kings. Not an accident. We are here confronted with the
mystery of blood, of race. No common man was he from whom sprang
David, Solomon, Hezekiah, Josiah, and a long line of kings. In his
ordinary hours, Isaiah may well have derived assurance that the
vision that gladdened him was given him from above, from the fact
that it was in harmony with God's promise (2 Sam. vii. 12-16).
Without dismay he could view the royal house lapsing into the
obscurity from which it sprang--becoming merely a house of _Jesse_
once more--assured that in His own time God would again raise it up
to glory.[1] It is always well when our hopes rest upon the Word of
God. 2. _Royally endowed;_ a King by truest "right divine," because
possessed of royal qualities of heart and mind (chap. xi. 2, 3). Of
the thousands who have sat on thrones, how few have possessed them!
How many have ruled over the miserable wretches subject to their sway
merely by the craft of the serpent or the cruelty of the tiger! Of
those who have been popular, how many have owed their popularity to
mere physical prowess and politic good-nature (Richard I.,
Charles II.)! How few have endeavoured to approach the Biblical
conception of what a ruler ought to be (Deut. xvii. 14-20; 2 Sam.
xxiii. 3; Ps. lxxii. 4; Prov. xx. 28)! In the marvellous superiority
of that conception to anything that has prevailed among men, have we
not another proof that the sacred writers were indeed inspired by the
Spirit of God? 3. _Ruling in righteousness;_ using His marvellous
endowments for the welfare of those subjected to His authority (chap.
xi. 3-5); not judging of things or men by their mere appearance, nor
by common report; caring for the poor, befriending the shrinking and
helpless, fearless in His dispensation of justice; His very words
being swords that smote and overthrew the arrogant oppressor; made
strong by the very righteousness which merely politic men would have
feared to display in view of the might of iniquity in this disordered
world; a Hero of the truest and divinest kind, in actual life setting
forth the ideal to which the noblest knights in the purest days of
chivalry strove to conform. Such was the King whom the prophet "saw"
in an age when "ruler" was merely another word for tyrant and
oppressor. Surely the vision so fair and wondrous was given him from
above!
107
II. He also saw THE KINGDOM. 1. _A kingdom of righteousness_ (chap.
xi. 9). The kingdom necessarily resembles the king. Appalling is the
influence of a court upon a nation. Correspondingly great is the
responsibility of those who sit in high places. 2. _A kingdom of
peace._ Set forth by the most beautiful symbolism (chap. xi. 6-10,
13). 3. _A kingdom of prosperity._ Those included in it are no longer
miserable exiles and bond slaves; rather they rule over those by whom
they were spoiled and oppressed (chap. xi. 14). This is the true
interpretation of a symbol that is in itself harsh and repulsive. The
coarseness of the symbol is due to the coarseness of the minds it was
first intended to touch. 4. _A kingdom of gladness and joy._ There
pervades it the gladness of exiles who have been restored to their
own land (chap. xi. 15, 16); the true and religious joy of men who
recognise that the deliverances which inspire their songs have been
wrought for them by God (chap. xii. 1-5); the joy of men who are
absolutely assured of continual safety (chap. xii. 2, 6).
Was all this merely a bright vision? 1. It has been already fulfilled
in part. 2. In our own day it is being fulfilled more completely than
ever before. 3. It shall yet be fulfilled triumphantly.[2] Let us
then, 1. Recognise and rejoice in the fact that we are living under
the rule of this righteous King. This is at least the dawning of the
"day" which Isaiah saw (Matt. xiii. 16). 2. Exult in view of the
certain future of our race. The kingdom of God shall come generation
after generation with mightier power (H. E. I., 3421-3423). 3. Labour
as well as pray that future may be hastened.
FOOTNOTES:
108
(_choter_), which promises to supply the place of the trunk
and crown; and down below, in the roots covered with earth,
and only rising a little above it there shows itself a
_nētzer, i.e.,_ a fresh, green shoot. In the historical
account of the fulfilment, even the ring of the words of
the prophecy is noticed: the _nētzer,_ at first so humble
and insignificant, was a poor despised _Nazarene_ (Matt.
ii. 23).--_Delitzsch._
+I. God is a person.+ There are those who would have us put away this
faith. In their view, God is merely the great controlling Force
behind all other forces, the life of the universe, diffused
throughout it, manifesting itself in innumerable forms. As it is the
same life in the tree that manifests itself in root, trunk, branch,
spray, twig, leaf, blossom, fruit, so all things that exist are not
the creations of a personal will, but the manifestations of an
impersonal and all-pervading life; all forces, convertible the one
into the other, are but varying forms of the one underlying force.
Every individual life is but a wave that seems for a moment to be
separated from the one universal ocean of life; it leaps up from it,
falls back into it, is absorbed by it. True, these waves are often
strangely diverse--Nero and St. Paul, John Howard and Napoleon, the
Virgin Mary and Lucrezia Borgia; but in that great Unity of which
they are all manifestations, there is an all-comprehensive
reconciliation, though it may elude our grasp. For Pantheism, many
would have us put away the doctrine of a personal God. But this
exchange, if it could be forced upon us by some logical necessity
(which it is not), would not be a gain, but a tremendous loss. For,
1. _There would be a tremendous loss to the heart._ A force may be
feared, but not loved. To gravitation we owe much, but no one ever
professed to love it. A force cannot be loved, because it does not
love. Strike out of our life all that comes to us from the confidence
109
that God loves us, and from the responsive love that springs up in
our hearts towards Him, and how much is lost! Then there is no longer
any assurance amid the mysteries of life, nor consolation in its
sorrows. In a word, we are orphaned: we can no longer say, "Our
Father, who art in heaven." There is no longer a Father, knowing us,
loving us, causing all good things to work together for our good;
there is only a Force, to which it is useless to appeal, against
which it is impossible to contend. 2. _We should also lose one of the
greatest of all helps to a noble life._ Not to dwell on the fact that
to speak of virtue or vice would then be absurd,--then we should no
longer sin, we should merely make mistakes,--consider how much the
world owes to the aspiration to be like God which has stirred so many
noble souls. Through them the average morality of the world has been
marvellously raised; but this would have been impossible but for the
stimulus these inspiring souls found in the character of God. That is
the first fact of which this text reminds us, that God is a person
from whom a spirit--an influence--can go forth affecting the
character of other persons.
+III. To the influence exerted upon Him by the Spirit of the Lord,
Jesus of Nazareth owed all that qualified Him to be the Messiah+
(vers. 2-5). That which was born of the Virgin Mary was a true human
child. A sinless child, yet sinless not as the result of the
sinlessness of the mother (as Rome teaches), but of the influence of
the Spirit of the Lord resting upon Him from the beginning of his
earthly life. His was a real humanity--_our_ humanity sanctified. All
that was pure, noble, Godlike in Him was "born not of the flesh, nor
of the will of man, but of God." How full of comfort and hope is this
truth also! To us also is offered the same Spirit. Nothing can be
more express than the declarations that we may have it if we will,
and that, if we have it, the ultimate result will be that we shall be
found partakers of the holiness of God. Let us not be unwisely cast
down by the frailty and pollution of our nature; if the Spirit of the
Lord rest upon us, the purity and the strength of God will become
ours, and at length the Father will say to each of us, as He did of
Jesus of Nazareth, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased."
110
THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE.
xi. 3. _And He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes,
neither reprove after the hearing of His ears._
A glorious difference between our Lord and ourselves. "He knew what
was in man," and needed not the evidence of external signs, which
often mislead _us._ He should deal with the motives of the heart
(H. E. I., 3332, 4147). Not by human sight, but by Divine _insight,_
He judged the conduct and character of men. 1. Our judgment is
enfeebled by _ignorance._ We do not see and hear all, and from our
imperfect knowledge of facts we draw wrong and often disastrous
conclusions (H. E. I., 2997-3005). But Our Lord could go behind the
visible works, and detect what often deceived men--_e.g.,_ His
treatment of pharisaism. 2. Our judgment is enfeebled by _prejudice._
This is often the result of ignorance. Seeing only certain sides of
men, we dislike them, and frame our judgments accordingly--_e.g.,_
Nathanael (John i. 46). With no better reason than Nathanael had, we
regard many a man as an enemy, or otherwise place him in a false
light. But our Lord dealt with none in this way. Seeing men as they
really were, no preconceived opinions led Him to unworthy
conclusions. 3. _Partiality_ enfeebles and perverts our judgment.
Judging by sight and hearing, we approve of one man more than
another, because he has certain artful or pleasing methods for
winning our favour: flattery, offers of gain, &c. (P. D., 1275, 1281,
1283). But our Lord could not be won in this way (Mark xii. 14; John
vi. 15). He was infinitely compassionate, tender, forgiving, but no
feeble partiality interfered to prevent most righteous judgment.
4. Our judgment is often perverted by _passion._ In the pursuit of
some unlawful and all-absorbing aim, we become too disturbed to weigh
calmly even the evidences we can see and hear. We look at everything
in the light of our false affection, and are thereby rendered
absolutely incapable of beholding others in their true light,
especially if they stand in our way and oppose our progress (P. D.,
2060). But the one absorbing and unremittent purpose of Jesus of
Nazareth was to do the will of His Heavenly Father, and to finish the
work He had given Him to do. Hence He dwelt always on a pure
altitude, in whose clear atmosphere He saw men and things as they
are. 5. _Our natural depravity_ is also a serious hindrance to our
right judging. Our very organs of knowledge, our affections, our
conscience, have been perverted. Let a man be ever so disposed to
take correct views of men and things, there will be some flaw in his
vision, some defect in his hearing. Hence there are times when we
cannot accept as final the judgment of the best and holiest of men.
But Christ has no secret evil to lead Him wrong.
111
THE UNIVERSAL DIFFUSION AND REDEMPTIVE POWER OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD.
(_Missionary Sermon._)
We have here a picture of the golden age. I. The whole earth shall be
as Mount Zion. II. Shall be freed from injustice and violence.
III. Shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord. 1. Wherein this
knowledge consists. 2. To what extent it shall prevail--universal,
deep. 3. By what means it is to be diffused.--_J. Lyth, D.D.:
Homiletical Treasury_ (p. 18).
"They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy _mountain,_ for the
_earth_ shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord." It seems clear
that in these words the prophet intended to be understood of speaking
of the whole earth. He would scarcely, in the same sentence, have
used the expressions in question--the _holy mountain_ in the first
clause, and the _earth_ in the other--if by these expressions he had
not meant the same thing, namely, the whole globe of the earth, when
the dwellers thereon should come to be true worshippers, like those
who first worshipped at Mount Zion, and who were a type of the
greater assembly of worshippers, the holy and universal Church, which
in the fulness of time would be established.
I. _The prophet grounds the hope of that reformed and purified state
of the moral_ _world, described in the beautiful words of the text,
upon the increase of religious knowledge_ which he saw to be coming.
"They shall not hurt . . . for the earth shall be full of the
_knowledge of the Lord._" II. These words may be taken as
_descriptive of the legitimate effect of Christian knowledge._ The
general scope, aim, and tendency of Gospel principles is such as
would produce the change described, were it not counteracted by the
tendency within us to what is wrong. III. They are more than this:
they are _prophetic of the actual results of Christian knowledge._
The Gospel will render war impossible. True, so-called "Christian"
nations have not yet ceased to wage war with one another, nor
so-called "Christian" men to rob and circumvent and ruin each other.
Nevertheless, this prophecy shall yet be fulfilled. We see it in the
process of fulfilment. The condition of the moral world has been
meliorated by Christianity. Wars have not ceased, but their conduct
has been mitigated. In their private dealings with each other, men
have become more just and trustworthy. Already there are millions of
men who would shrink from doing harm of any kind to their fellow-men.
Compare Christendom with heathendom, and you will see what mighty
changes the Gospel has already wrought. The practice even of
Christian men falls short of their knowledge. Nevertheless, the
practice and the morals of men are, generally speaking, the best
where their knowledge is the most. The prophet's words are justified
by fact, and men forbear one another most, and hurt and destroy
least, where knowledge is the greatest. It is a fact that life and
property are more safe and secure in the Christian portion of the
earth, than in any other portions. And the knowledge of the Lord
grows year by year; partly through the labours of missionaries in
many places; still more by the rapid growth of the nations that are
Christian. The violent and lawless races of the earth are dwindling
112
away. The only races that are increasing are those that fear God, and
are willing to respect the rights, the properties, and the lives of
their neighbours. Through the medium of this natural increase of
peace-loving races, and through the conversion of many among the
benighted nations, this prophecy is receiving a gradual, but very
appreciable, fulfilment. The world is advancing, with
ever-accelerating speed towards knowledge and peace, and this
declaration shall yet be literally fulfilled (H. E. I., 979,
1161-1168; P. D., 2465, 2466).
II. ITS DESTINED DIFFUSION. The figure employed by the prophet brings
before us impressively the universality of its diffusion. The
imagination is called in to instruct our faith.[1] The world-wide
diffusion of the gospel is a matter--1. Of _prophetic certainty._
Nothing could be more plain than the prophetic declarations
concerning this matter. But if any man asks _when_ the promise will
be fulfilled, only one answer can be given him (Acts i. 7).
2. Involving _Divine agency._ Utterly false is the notion that, after
creating the universe, God withdrew from it, and left it to go on by
its own momentum (John v. 17); and utterly false is the notion that,
after giving the gospel to the world, God has left it to make its own
way therein. By Divine agency men are raised up to proclaim it (Eph.
iv. 11). While they are so engaged Christ Himself is with them (Matt.
xxviii. 20); and while they preach, the Holy Spirit strives in the
hearts of men to prepare and dispose them to receive the glad tidings
113
(1 Thess. i. 5). When, therefore, we look at the glorious promise of
our text, we must not forget that God Himself is working for its
accomplishment. This will save us from unbelief and despair
concerning it. 3. Involving _human instrumentality._ Not that this is
absolutely necessary. Without human husbandry God could have caused
the earth to bring forth food for man and beast, and without human
instrumentality He could have saved the world. But it has pleased Him
to commit to us the Word of reconciliation. The consequent duty of
preaching it must be taken in connection with, and regarded as the
condition of, the promise; just as the promise that there shall be a
harvest till the end of the world is conditioned by man's sowing the
seed in the appointed season. The promise must not be used as an
excuse for indolence, but as a stimulus to industry.
1. THE HOPE OF THE WORLD. Shut the Bible, and our outlook on the
world and its future is dark and sad. Open it, and let its light
shine into our minds, and with the light will come encouragement and
hope. 1. If it is true that "the earth . . . the sea," then God takes
an interest in the affairs of the world, and takes an interest in
114
them _now._ This mighty world is not left to drift into an unknown
and perilous future without a steersman to guide it. 2. If God makes
such abundant provision for the instruction of men in the knowledge
of Himself, then He will be accessible to them when, by that
knowledge, they are led to approach Him; and He is accessible to us.
3. Himself opening for men a way of access to Him, we may be sure
that when they avail themselves of it He will deal with them in the
way of mercy and love; and so He will deal with us. Who can doubt
this who looks on the fact of Christ, through whom God has given us
the truest knowledge of Himself (2 Cor. iv. 6)? 4. He means to be
known to the _world,_ and therefore His gracious offers extend to
_all,_ to us.
It is here declared that there is yet to dawn upon the world an era
of perfect light, and that that shall be also and therefore an era of
perfect love. "They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy
mountain, FOR the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord."
115
concerning God, as soon as it is really known, becomes a correcting
and converting force. The tendency of this knowledge, as of light, is
to quicken and beautify. The way to grow in grace is to grow in the
knowledge of Christ (2 Pet. iii. 18). 2. _The knowledge of God is a
thing that grows, and grows slowly, in the human soul._ This is true
of all knowledge.[2] But in proportion as it grows, sanctification
takes place in the individual life, reformation in the national
life.[3] It is the most radical and successful of all revolutionists.
It is impossible for us to dream of the changes it will accomplish
upon the earth. But this we know, that by it war and every form of
violence shall be abolished (text; Isa. ii. 4, &c.)
FOOTNOTES:
[1] "The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, _as
the waters cover the sea._" The expression is remarkable
for its force. In looking over the face of the ocean, no
differences are to be perceived: one part is not fuller
116
than the other; one part is not covered, and another left
dry; but all is one unbroken stream, filling and covering
the whole. So shall it be with the Word of God among men.
It shall not be known to some, and hidden from others. It
shall not be fully declared in one place, and only
partially set forth in another. Whatever knowledge it
pleased Him to give at all, shall be given to all men
equally and without distinction. Such is clearly the
purpose of God in His own appointed time.--_W. H. Sulivan._
[2] The knowledge of God comes into the soul as a king is born
into a country over which he is ultimately to rule; at the
beginning it is but a babe; for a long time it is weak, and
needs to be defended and nurtured; many years elapse before
it rules; rarely in this life does it exercise full power
and undisputed sway.
117
glorious." We are thus directed to the final result of the uplifting
of Christ as an ensign: the great campaign brought to a successful
conclusion, the Victor in it rests gloriously, surrounded by the
soldiers whom He has led on to triumph, and the people to whom He has
given liberty and peace.
The prophet here foresees that the Saviour's mission and work will so
exalt Him in the eyes of the nations, that they will turn to Him as
the one object and desire of their souls. (Compare John xii. 32.)
This prediction declares that Christ would be a banner to attract
men, that He would be the object of universal search, and that men in
finding Him would attain to true rest and glory.
118
happiness and glory.
II. THE OBJECT OF UNIVERSAL SEARCH. "To it shall the Gentiles seek."
Search for Christ characterises all races of men (Hag. ii. 7) and all
periods of time (Luke x. 24). The search is often prosecuted in
ignorance. Men know not for what and for whom their souls yearn; but
it _is_ Christ of whom unconsciously they are in quest; and it is
towards Him, that by the else insatiable desires of their spiritual
nature, they are being led.
III. THE FINDING OF TRUE REST. "His rest shall be glorious." 1. The
rest we find in Christ is connected with a vital change effected in
the heart and life. He does not simply do something _for_ us; He also
does a work _within_ us. Every intelligent seeker knows that there
can be no rest until the evil that is lodged within us is resisted
and cast out (H. E. I., 1324). It is as we enter into the spirit of
Christ and share His life, that we enter into rest (Matt. xi. 28-30).
2. Our new relations to God, entered into by faith in Christ Jesus,
makes our rest very glorious. God is then known to us by the most
precious and endearing names; He is our rock, our shield, &c. Each of
these names represents to us some tender aspects of His love, some
sweet ministry of His grace.
Are you in search of the highest peace, joy, holiness, rest? Here you
may end your quest (1 Cor. i. 30; P. D., 481).--_William Manning._
119
was peace only because they were restrained from active hostility by
the strong hand of Roman power. Hatred of other nations was regarded
not as a crime, but as a duty.[1] But Christ inaugurated the empire
of universal brotherhood and love. Wars have not yet ceased even
among nations professing Christianity, but they are no longer openly
gloried in by those who wage them; they are apologised for as sad
necessities. The apology is often insincere, but the fact that it is
made at all is a marvellous tribute to the influence and authority of
Christ. Wherever His true followers meet, national distinctions are
forgotten, and they feel drawn to each other by a mightier and
sweeter bond. As the centuries pass away, the love of Christ becomes
more and more the uniting power of the world.
+II. How sadly imperfect the fulfilment of this prediction still is!+
The era of universal peace has not yet dawned. The world is still
cursed by wars and rumours of wars. Millions of men are maintained in
constant readiness for war. There are bitter contentions among the
sections of the Christian Church, these tribes of the modern Israel.
Class is divided from class. So-called Christian families are
saddened by bitter feuds.
+III. The blessedness of the era that shall yet dawn upon the world.+
The Christian often dreams of it; his dreams are sweet as those which
hungry men have of banquets, and shipwrecked sailors drifting
helplessly on rafts in the wide ocean have of their native village
and of meeting with their loved ones there; and in their waking hours
they, too, are apt to be saddened by the fear that their dreams too
are as utterly incapable of realisation. But it is not so. They shall
all be realised, for the authority of Christ shall yet be universal,
real, absolute; and all the listening angels shall not be able to
detect one sound of discord rising from the round world, for the
whole world shall be full of the peace of Christ (P. D., 2465, 2466,
2676).
120
not have lived in vain.
FOOTNOTES
I. THE PRELUDE OF THIS CHARMING SONG--"In that day thou shalt say."
Here we have the tuning of the harps, the notes of the music follow
after in the succeeding sentences. Note, 1. There is a _time_ for the
joyous song here recorded, "In that day"--the day of the
manifestation of the Divine power. 2. One word indicates the
_singer._ "_Thou_ shalt say." One by one we receive eternal life and
peace. Religion is an individual matter. The word "thou" is spoken to
those brought down into the last degree of despair. Thou
broken-hearted sinner, ready to destroy thyself because of the
anguish of conscience, in the day of God's abounding mercy, _thou_
shalt rejoice! 3. The _Teacher_ of the song. "In that day thou
_shalt_ say." Who but the Lord can thus command man's heart and
speech? 4. The _tone_ of the song. "Thou shalt _say._" The song is to
be an open one, vocally uttered, heard of men. It is not to be a
silent feeling, a kind of soft music whose sweetness is spent within
the spirit; but in that day thou shalt testify and bear witness what
121
the Lord has done for thee (H. E. I., 3903-3921).
The preceding chapter relates to the reign of the Messiah; the end of
it especially to the ingathering of the Jews--a period which will be
the spiritual jubilee to the tribes of Israel, and the beginning of
the millennium to the world itself. _That_ is the day in which Israel
shall say, "O Lord, I will praise thee," &c. This passage may be
applied to every spiritual child of Abraham. Consider--
+I. The previous state referred to.+ "Thou wast angry with me." Anger
in God is not, as it often is in us, a blind, furious passion; but a
holy disapprobation of wrong, and a righteous determination to punish
it (H. E. I., 2288-2294). 1. _Man's character and conduct, while in
his natural state, are such as justly expose him to the Divine
122
anger._ What does God survey in the sinner? Ignorance, unbelief,
envy, malevolence, impurity, &c. In his conduct, likewise, how much
there is that must necessarily be displeasing to God!--ingratitude,
disobedience, selfishness, abuse of long-suffering, the rejection of
Christ. 2. _No intelligent being need be in any doubt as to whether
he is, or is not, an object of the Divine anger._ The teaching of
Scripture is clear (Ps. vii. 11; xxxiv. 16, &c.) This is ratified by
the workings of conscience. Let any one do good secretly, and
contrast his state of mind with the feelings arising after the
commission of secret evil. 3. _The Divine anger is of all things to
be deprecated._ Remember what its effects have been upon impenitent
sinners. Think of the old world; of Pharaoh and the Egyptians; of
Sodom, &c. View the written in indelible and awful characters in the
history of the Israelites. Nothing can resist it, alleviate it, or
deliver from it.
123
accomplished _for_ them by the Son of God, and _in_ them by the Holy
Spirit. 2. In the enjoyment of Divine consolation. +III. Of the
adoring thankfulness which the change demands and calls forth.+
1. The individual character of the declaration: "_Thou_ shalt say."
2. The vocal proclamation: Thou "shalt _say._" True gratitude is
never silent (Ps. lxvi. 16, &c.) 3. The delightful burden of the
song.--_George Smith, D.D._
In this verse we have three pictures. I. God angry with the sinner.
II. God reconciled to the sinner. III. God comforting the
sinner.--_H. F. Walker._
WELLS OF SALVATION.
Salvation is the great theme of the Bible, and thus it meets man's
great need. Think, I. Of THE WELLS, the sources of salvation. Clearly
these are not found in man himself. Salvation originated in the
eternal love of God for man; it flows to sinners through the work of
Jesus; it is by the influence of the Holy Spirit that the sinner is
made willing to partake of it. These truly are _wells_ of salvation;
not rills that may dry up; not even rivers, which may fail because
the streams from the mountains have failed; but wells, fountains
over-flowing, inexhaustible as the nature of God. II. Of THE WATER. A
beautiful symbol of a great reality. Excepting the air we breathe,
there is no element so widely diffused, nor so essential to life, as
water. Imagine a great city, a whole district, a ship's crew without
water.[1] 1. Water _revives._ How the traveller dying from thirst
begins to revive the instant water touches his lips; so the salvation
of the gospel imparts new life to the soul; an invigoration,
moreover, that shall not pass away (John iv. 14). 2. Water
_cleanses._ So does the salvation of the gospel (Rev. i. 5; Heb.
ix. 14; Ezek. xxxvi. 25; Zech. xiii. 1). 3. Water _fertilises._ The
water of salvation enriches and fertilises the spiritual soil, so
that the blossoms of hope in the early spring-time of piety, and the
matured fruits of holiness in the autumn of life, adorn the garden of
the Lord (Isa. lviii. 11; Jer. xxxi. 12; Ps. i. 3; Num. xxiv. 6).
III. Of THE JOY. 1. This can only be experienced by such as draw
water out of the wells of salvation. Necessarily it _is_ a matter of
experience. There are many things that must be felt to be known, and
this is one of them. 2. This joy may be expected in the very act of
drawing the water of salvation. If you were to overtake a traveller
in a sandy desert dying from thirst, he would begin to enjoy the very
moment he became conscious of the touch of the precious fluid. So
with the Christian (Rom. xv. 13). And as he may and ought to be
constantly drawing from the wells of salvation, his life should
always be a happy life (H. E. I. 3037-3051; P. D. 2085).
124
prepares a banquet, and issues his invitations, those invitations
have the force of commands. God has graciously provided salvation for
your souls in Christ: will you turn away and despise His love?--_John
Rawlinson._
+I. The sources of consolation which God has opened up to the Church
in the revelation of His Son.+ In a dry and thirsty land like
125
this--in a world where there are so many sorrows arising from sin,
and so many difficulties in our way to heaven--we need sources of
supply, fountains of consolation. And in the Word of God we have
them; "_wells_ of salvation," not running streams, not brooks, full
in spring and dry in summer, but wells! 1. Christ is the great
fountain (John vii. 37, 38). When He was lifted up upon the cross,
the fountain of grace that is in Him was opened, and healing streams
shall never cease to flow from it, till the last weary pilgrim has
reached the abodes of blessedness. Do we thirst for the pardon of
sin? (Matt. xii. 31). For the favour and friendship of God? (Matt.
v. 6). For solid and spiritual happiness? (Isa lv. 1; Rev. xxii. 17).
2. The religion of Christ is a system of consolation and joy; it is
the only one that deserves the name; all others work as with
unmeaning ceremonies or unfounded expectations. All the parts of
Christ's religion, properly understood and personally enjoyed,
promote solid comfort and true joy. Its doctrine (Rom. v. 11). Its
promises (Ps. xcvii. 11). Its precepts (Ps. cxix. 54). Its prospects
(Rom. v. 2; H. E. I., 4161-4163). 3. God is "the God of comfort."
Christ is "the consolation of Israel." The Holy Spirit is "the
Comforter." How ample are the sources of comfort and joy mentioned in
this chapter! (1.) The removal of a sense of Divine displeasure (ver.
1). (2.) Hope of interest in God's special favour as our covenant God
(ver. 2).
126
By "the wells of salvation" we may understand "the means of grace."[5]
I. _These wells of salvation have been opened for the supply of human
needs;_ not for God's benefit, but for ours. What wells are to
travellers through a desert, these are to us in our pilgrimage to
Zion. II. _Men should come to these wells for the purpose of having
their needs supplied;_ not from habit, not that we may set a good
example, &c., but that we ourselves may be refreshed and
strengthened. III. _No frequency in coming to these wells can be in
any sense meritorious._ Expose the mistake of the Pharisee and the
Ritualist. The oftener we avail ourselves of them, the more we
increase, not our claims upon God, but our obligations to Him; and
the more should increase, not our pride and self-righteousness, but
our thankfulness to God for His goodness in providing them. IV. _The
wells are nothing: the water in them is everything._ A dry well,
however deep it may be, or whatever historic associations may cluster
around it, is worthless; and so are all religious ordinances apart
from the Spirit of God. We must ever remember that they are _means_
of grace--channels through which the God of all grace will satisfy
the soul's thirst of those who seek Him in sincerity and truth.
V. _Nevertheless we are not to stay away from the wells, nor despise
them._ That is a false spirituality that disparages divine
ordinances. We are not to trust in the wells, yet neither are we to
refuse to draw water out of them:--1. Because GOD opened them, and to
neglect them it to charge Him with foolishly providing what we do not
need. 2. Because it pleases Him to give us water through them; and we
are to accept the blessing in whatever way He chooses to impart it to
us. Naaman (2 Kings v. 11-13); the blind man (John ix. 6, 7).
3. Because we need refreshment and reinvigoration day by day (Isa.
xl. 31; Ps. lxxxiv. 7; H. E. I., 555, 556, 3866-3876). 4. Because our
Master in the days of His flesh used the means of grace; no true
Christian will seek in this respect to be above his Lord. VI. _God
has opened_ WELLS _of salvation;_ not one, but many; none needlessly.
We must use them all. Their benefit lies in their conjunction. For
the production of a harvest, the sun and the rain are both needed;
the sun alone would make a desert, the rain alone a swamp. No bird
can fly with _one_ wing, &c. We must read as well as pray, &c.
CONCLUDING LESSONS.--1. _Why God sometimes leaves the wells dry._ His
people sometimes come so to delight in the means of grace, that they
forget they are only _means,_ and then He withholds His blessings,
that they may be taught that He alone can satisfy their souls (Ps.
lxxxiv. 2, lxii. 5). 2. _Why, when there is water in the wells, some
are not quickened and refreshed._ (1.) Water revives the living, not
the dead. (2.) Some forget to bring their buckets. They have no real
desires after God, not true faith in His power and willingness to
bless them, and to each of them we may say, "Sir, thou hast nothing
to draw with, and the wells are deep" (John iv. 11).
FOOTNOTES:
127
All in a hot and copper sky,
The bloody sun at noon
Right up above the mast did stand,
No bigger than the moon.
[2] The Talmudists refer the words, "With joy shall ye draw
water out of the wells of salvation," to the custom of
making an oblation of water on the last day of the Feast of
Tabernacles, when a priest fetched water in a golden
pitcher from the fountain of Siloah, and poured it mixed
with wine on the morning sacrifice as it lay on the altar;
while at the evening offering the same was done amidst
shouts of joy from the assembled people. It was in obvious
allusion to this rite that, "in the last day, that great
day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man
thirst, let him come unto Me and drink;" but as it is not
prescribed in the law of Moses, it has been doubted whether
it dates back earlier than the times of the Maccabees. It
is, however, at least as probable that the Asmonean princes
should have restored an ancient as ordained a new rite:
such a rite, to acknowledge God's gift of water without
which harvest and vintage must have failed, would always
have been a likely accompaniment of the feast in which
these were celebrated; and the like acts of Samuel and
Elijah, though for different purposes, perhaps go in
confirmation of the ancient existence of such a practice
(1 Sam vii. 6; 1 Kings xviii. 33-35). Be this as it may,
the idea conveyed by the image of the living water will be
the same:--"Such as is the refreshment of water from the
spring, and from the clouds of heaven, to the parched lips
and the thirsty land, in this our sultry climate, such
shall be the refreshment of your spirit in that day from
the salvation of Jehovah He shall dwell among you, and His
Spirit shall be a well of life to the whole
nation."--_Strachey._
The last day of the feast, known as "the Hosanna Rabba" and
the "Great Day," found Him, as each day before, doubtless,
had done, in the Temple arcades. He had gone thither early,
to meet the crowds assembled for morning prayer. It was a
day of special rejoicing. A great procession of pilgrims
marched seven times round the city, with their lulats
[branches of palm woven round with willow and myrtle],
music, and loud-voiced choirs preceding, and the air was
rent with shouts of Hosanna, in commemoration of the taking
of Jericho, the first city in the Holy Land that fell into
the hands of their fathers. Other multitudes streamed to
128
the brook of Shiloah, after the priests and Levites,
bearing the golden vessels, with which to draw some of the
water. As many as could get near the stream drank of it,
amidst loud chanting of the words of Isaiah--"Ho, every one
that thirsteth, come ye to the waters," "With joy shall we
draw water from the wells of salvation,"--rising in
jubilant chants on every side. The water drawn by the
priests was meanwhile borne up to the Temple, amid the
boundless excitement of a vast throng. Such a crowd was,
apparently, passing at this moment.
Rising, as the throng went by, His Spirit was moved at such
honest enthusiasm, yet saddened at the moral decay which
mistook a mere ceremony for religion. It was burning autumn
weather, when the sun had for months shone in a cloudless
sky, and the early rains were longed for as the monsoons in
India after the summer heat. Water at all times is a magic
word in a sultry climate like Palestine, but at this moment
it had a double power. Standing, therefore, to give His
words more solemnity, His voice now sounded far and near
over the throng, with soft clearness, which arrested all--
"If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink, for I
will give him the living waters of God's heavenly grace, of
which the water you have now drawn from Shiloah is only, as
your Rabbis tell you, a type. He that believes in Me drinks
into his soul of My fulness, as from a fountain, the riches
of Divine grace and truth. Nor do they bring life to him
alone who thus drinks. They become in his own heart, as the
whole burden of Scripture tells, a living spring, which
shall flow from his lips and life in holy words and deeds,
quickening the thirsty around him."--_Geikie._
[3] John vii. 38, "In the Book Sohar we find the same metaphor,
fol. 40, col. 4, 'When a man turns to God, he becomes like
a spring of fresh living water, and streams flow out from
him to all men.'"--_Geikie._
129
in heaven it is the theme of the songs of the most exalted
intelligences (Isa. vi. 3); on earth it inspires bad men with dread
and dislike (Isa. xxx. 11), and good men with thankfulness and hope
(Ps. xxx. 4; Heb. xii. 10; H. E. I., 2275, 2843). 2. _His greatness._
"Great"--in duration, wisdom, power, dominion, and resources. All
these render Him terrible as an enemy, desirable as a friend.[2]
3. _His residence._ "In the midst of thee." But is not God
everywhere? Yes, but not everywhere in the same character; not in
heaven as in earth, &c. Wherever His presence is spoken of in a way
of promise or privilege, it is to be distinguished from His attribute
of omnipresence, for it has then in it something peculiarly
beneficial and saving (Deut. iv. 7; Ps. xxxiv. 18). God's presence in
the midst of His people is the guarantee of their safety and the
source of their joy. Let them adore the condescension He shows in
dwelling in their midst.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Zion was the name of a high mound situated upon a bed of
rock enclosed within the walls of Jerusalem, and making the
finest and strongest part thereof. Here was first the
Tabernacle, and then the Temple, and concerning it great
things are declared (Ps. cxxxii. 13-18). If we look through
the literal description to the spiritual glory discernible,
we shall soon see that it was typical of a higher state,
and a shadow of good things to come. I need hardly remind
you that, by a figure of speech, Zion is used in the New
Testament as significant of the Church of the Living God
(Heb. xii. 22).--_Jay._
130
the gates of Zion;" the streams of His holy "river still
made glad the city of God;" and He was "known in her palace
for a refuge." But a gloomier hour at length arrived; even
Divine patience has its limits; and the last dread crime of
Zion could only be expiated in her ruin. Blood had flowed
beneath her hands, every drop of which was worth a
universe, and she had invoked its curse upon her own head
and the head of her children. And now, behold, in the
fearful words of her own prophets, "the lion is come up
from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on
his way,"--Jerusalem is ruined and Judah is fallen, because
their tongues and their doings are against the Lord to
provoke the eyes of His glory. "But what?--is this the city
of which such glorious things are spoken--that the Highest
Himself should establish her, that she should not be
moved?" Where are His mighty promises of perpetuity? Where
is that foundation which no power should ever shake--that
Zion, in which the poor of His people were to trust?
[2] How well may the Church on Zion rejoice to have such a God
dwelling in the midst of it! He is great as the Giver of
promises, and great in fulfilling them; great in all His
saving acts which spread from Israel to all
mankind.--_Delitzsch._
131
would hail a reprieve. We should receive it with feelings
superior to those with which we receive anything else. It
is a subject which rises infinitely above all others in
interest and importance, and demands all the energies of
the soul, and renders Dr. Young's words the words of truth
and soberness:--
Thus far all is plain. But when we read and think about what is to
take place on "the day of the Lord" (vers. 7, 8, 15, 16, 18),
astonishment takes possession of us, and we feel disposed to call it
"the day of the devil." How _can_ a day like this be called "the day
of the Lord"? Note--1. That all the cruelties here described were
inflicted by men. 2. That these men were moved to inflict these
cruelties by their own passions; that they acted as free agents, and
without any thought of fulfilling a Divine purpose. 3. That the
supreme passion by which they were moved was the passion of
revenge--of revenge for cruelties equally frightful inflicted by the
sufferers of that day. Nothing can exceed in horror the picture which
the Babylonians themselves drew of the enormities perpetrated by them
on conquered nations. 4. That, consequently, the Babylonians were
reaping as they had sown. The day that was coming upon them was a day
of retribution, and in this sense emphatically "a day of the Lord."
As a matter of fact, retribution is one of the laws under which we
live (H. E. I., 4609, 4611, 4612), and it is a Divine law, a law
worthy of God. It is an ordinance of mercy, for the tendency of it is
to restrain men from sin. By their knowledge of its existence and the
certainty of its operation (P. D., 2995), wicked men are undoubtedly
greatly restrained from wickedness. Were it not for the days when it
is manifestly seen in operation, when great transgressors are
overwhelmed with great sufferings, atheism would prevail; a reign of
terror and of restrained cruelty would begin, and every day would be
a day of the devil. 5. This day, with all its horrors, was an
essential preliminary to the accomplishment of God's purposes of
mercy in regard to His people. For _them_ it was emphatically "a day
of the Lord," for it was the day of their deliverance from bondage, a
day of exultant thanksgiving that the power of their relentless
oppressors was for ever broken (chap. xiv. 1-6). In the history of
our race there have been many such days, _e.g.,_ the French
Revolution of 1789, the American Civil War; days when the worst
passions of humanity were manifested without restraint; but days when
132
the wisdom of God was displayed in bringing good out of evil, in
punishing the iniquities of the past, in ushering in a brighter and
better era of freedom and justice.
133
THE LOVE OF MONEY.
I. One of the most universal and powerful of all passions is the love
of money. Consider--1. How _wide-spread_ is this passion. The instant
men rise above utter barbarism, it manifests itself. Paradoxical as
it may sound, it is one of the first signs that civilisation has
begun. In every civilised land, and among all classes, it constantly
manifests itself.[1] It is one of the inspiring and moulding forces
that are always at work. 2. How _powerful_ it is in its operation! It
leads them to face appalling dangers. It persuades them to endure
distressing privations. It betrays them into the basest crimes. Up to
a certain point, it may be said to be a useful servant; it works to
promote our welfare, by overbalancing other tendencies that would
degrade and ruin us; but when once that limit is overpassed, it
transforms itself into a tyrannical master. Like many an Eastern
tyrant, it destroys all other lawful passions that might dispute with
it the throne (H. E. I., 400, 402).
FOOTNOTES:
134
[1] In many of those who seem utterly free from the love of
money, it is only dormant; like the thirst for blood in
that tiger which, captured when a cub, was brought up as a
household pet, but showed itself to be a tiger indeed when,
licking a slight wound in its master's hand, it first
tasted blood. So, many who appear to be utterly free from
the love of money are so simply because they have never
possessed more than sufficed for their bare necessities.
Let them possess more, and avarice will show itself. This
is the explanation of the familiar fact, that many who
become prosperous become niggardly; they may continue to
give, but it is always in a steadily diminishing proportion
to their income (H. E. I., 4013; P. D., 3068, 3488).
The season of childhood appeals to our concern and should awake our
compassion--1. By its _helplessness._ It has to lean upon others.
2. By its _ignorance._ It has had no time to learn (H. E. I., 780).
3. By its _inexperience._ Unless it is aided by the guidance of
mature wisdom, it must almost necessarily go astray. 4. By its
_peculiar susceptibility to every kind of moral influence._ To these
appeals let us give reverent, cheerful, and thoughtful heed. Let us
not be content to shudder at this prediction concerning the Medes, or
at such historical records as that of the slaughter of the children
135
of Bethlehem (Matt. ii.); let us make the children the objects of our
care. 1. Let us spare _our own children,_ from all unreasonable
demands upon them, from the mischiefs that will inevitably come upon
them if we do not carefully train them in the way they should go.
2. Let us spare _the children of the poor_ from the evils of
ignorance. These evils are terrible and far-reaching. Not to rescue
them from these evils when we have the power to do so, is to doom
them to them. In the Sunday-school we have a means to rescue which we
cannot neglect without sin.--_William Manning._
But why dwell upon a fate so awful, and that occurred so long ago?
Because it is a solemn warning to men to-day. Listen to our Saviour's
teaching on this point (Matt. xi. 20-24). From this we learn that the
fate of those who reject Christ will be more severe even than that
which befell those guilty cities--1. Because of clearer light against
which they sinned. It cannot be in any way a trivial thing to possess
the Gospel (2 Cor. ii. 16). 2. Because of the more abundant
opportunities of salvation which were afforded them. 3. Because of
the more abundant and excellent examples set before them. 4. Because
of the multiplied examples of warning to which they should have given
heed.--_William Manning._
136
This is an experience known to men in their spiritual seekings and
findings of God. Blessed is that "rest" which follows many a season
of sorrow, and fear, and hard bondage wherein men are made to serve.
Consider--
II. THE REAL INSIGNIFICANCE OF OUR FOES, which in the day of our
deliverance will be made plain to us, and which should be apprehended
by our faith even now (ver. 4). 1. Greater is He that is in than all
that can be against us, and therefore, if we be faithful, our victory
is sure (1 John iv. 4; Rom. viii. 37; H. E. I., 934, 2368, 2791).
2. By Him even our very foes and oppressors shall be made to help us.
In the case of Israel, their masters were to become their servants,
their oppressors their subjects (ver. 2). It is so in the spiritual
life; our very sorrows, fears, nay, our sins, may be made to serve
great ends; a vanquished fear, a defeated sin, will leave us stronger
to meet the next. Let us so live and strive, by the grace of God,
that, having triumphed over every evil habit, every ignoble doubt,
every besetting sin, we may be able to say at last, "How hath the
137
oppressor ceased!"--_William Manning._
138
THE CONQUEROR CONQUERED.
139
elements of wisdom. Men bury themselves in the concerns of time, and
forget that their consciences will have an awful resurrection in
another world. This insensibility is the more unpardonable since God
uses so many means to arouse and to instruct us. Reflect on the
momentous character of life, its shortness, its grand purpose, its
solemn issues; look to the grand vision beyond the shades of death.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] When I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion of
envy dies in me; when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful,
every inordinate desire goes out; when I meet with the
grief of parents on a tombstone, my heart melts with
compassion; when I see the tombs of the parents themselves,
I consider the vanity of grieving for those we must so
quickly follow; when I see kings lying by those who deposed
them, when I consider rival wits placed side by side, or
the holy men who divided the world with their contests and
disputes, I reflect with sorrow and astonishment on the
little competitions, factions, and debates of mankind; when
I read the several dates of some that died as yesterday,
and some of six hundred years ago, I consider that great
day when we shall all be contemporaries and make our
appearance together.--_Addison._
140
II. _This is also the verdict of human experience._ As a matter of
fact, we see that a wicked course of life is regarded as a shame. It
is held up as a beacon to be avoided, whilst the career of the good
is held up as a model to be followed. History is full of examples of
men whose names are held in universal detestation, notwithstanding
their connection with ingenuity, wealth, and power. Each of us knows
how well the fact is proved by myriads of examples in social life. A
persistently wicked course is known to be a blighted one, and any
attempt to invest it with glory or renown is felt to be wrong. We
recoil even from the thought that it should be possible for such a
course to command the homage of men.
III. _This truth gives us great hope for the future of our world._ If
it were possible for wrongdoing to gain for itself imperishable
renown, we might tremble for the safety of those principles of
righteousness and truth which have always been regarded as the main
support and stay of good men. Reckless folly and wild presumption
would become exalted and enthroned, and we might well shudder at the
possibility that, under the attractions of successful wickedness, men
would rush in masses and bow down to Evil, declaring it to be their
Good. This abandoned idolatry, this deep depravity, is now reached
only in isolated cases, and such are regarded even by godless men as
deplorable and hopeless. It is a hopeful fact that evildoers have to
carry on much of their work in the dark, for it is a sure token that,
as the light widens and deepens, the works of darkness must fall;
their covering will be removed, and their shelter will be gone.
A MEMORABLE ANSWER.
141
nations; as to the nations whose messengers are here spoken of; and
as to the time when they came on their errand. Adopting the view
which represents them as coming to Jerusalem to congratulate Hezekiah
after the marvellous deliverance of that city from the Assyrians
(chap. xxxvii. 36-38), we remind you--
+I. That the wonders of God's love to His Church often surprise
strangers as well as friends.+ For the deliverances wrought for her
are often--1. _Surprisingly seasonable, e.g.,_ the overthrow of the
Egyptian host in the Red Sea, when everything seemed to favour
Pharaoh and to be against Israel (Exod. xv. 13-15); the deliverance
of Jerusalem from Sennacherib. 2. _Astonishing because brought about
by unlikely means._ Who could have anticipated the manner of the
deliverance of Jerusalem on this occasion? [Give other examples.]
3. _Astonishing because vouchsafed in spite of great provocations and
unworthiness._ Every such deliverance is a work of grace as well as
of power.
Mark what the text affirms, _"The Lord hath founded Zion;"_ this is
the guarantee of His love and of her stability: _"the poor of His
people shall trust in it,"_ or, as the margin has it, _"shall betake
themselves unto it:"_ this is the one purpose of Her Divine mission
upon earth--the care, the teaching, the education, the guidance of
the poor.
142
all it cost to give her being. 2. In this Church of His is His own
_honour_ pledged. He hath not covenanted with the world that now is
to immortalise it; but He has passed His own word for the perpetuity
of His Church (Matt. xvi. 18; Isa. lx. 20, 21). 3. The Church, in its
ultimate perfection, is set forth as the very _reward_ of all the
sorrows of its Lord. To "see of the travail of His soul and be
satisfied" is His destined crown; this "joy set before Him" was that
which enabled Him to "endure the cross, despising the shame." (See
also Eph. v. 25-27.) Shall He be defrauded of His recompense?
4. There is more than creation to bind the Church to Christ, more
than promise, more than reward; there is communion, oneness,
identification. A man may desert his child; he cannot desert himself.
Even though the Redeemer could forget His espoused bride; even though
He could deny His plighted promise; yea, though He could abandon His
own reward, He cannot abandon His own body (1 Cor. xii. 27; Eph.
i. 23, v. 30). With such a union there can be no separation; if
Christ be immortal, the Church is so; when He dies she shall perish,
but not till then.
II. THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH. _"The poor of His people shall trust
in it."_ The Church of Christ is one vast institute for the benefit
of the poor. The poor were the special objects of Christ's solicitude
and tenderness, and they have been, and should be, the special
objects of the Church's care. Even in her worst days she has had an
open hand for the poor. She should ever follow the example of her
Lord in caring for their temporal needs. But it is in the doctrine
she preaches, and the way she preaches it, that the Church is indeed
the poor man's consoler.[2]--_William Archer Butler, M.A.,: Sermons,
Doctrinal and Practical, Second Series,_ pp. 227-237.
FOOTNOTES:
GOD'S OUTCASTS.
143
is chilled, and the bond of intercourse broken (H. E. I., 23, 24,
2152-2157; P. D., 1422). But God is a friend who sticketh closer than
any brother.[1] True, they sometimes esteem themselves outcasts even
from Him (Ps. xlii. 2), and still more frequently are thought to be
so by the ungodly (Ps. xlii. 3); but in this the ungodly make a
mistake, which in their case is natural, and God's people should
never wrong Him by suspecting Him of fickleness (chap. xlix. 15).
+II. God provides a refuge for His people when and where it might be
least expected.+ _"With thee, Moab."_ Moab was not a neutral, but a
hostile state, one of Israel's most inveterate foes, always on the
outlook for opportunities to display its hostility. Strange,
therefore, that Moab should be selected as a protector for Jehovah's
outcasts; strange, but not unexampled. God often raises up friends
for His people in unexpected quarters, supplies their needs by
unexpected means, or turns their foes into friends (Prov. xvi. 7).
Esau's heart was suddenly changed; Joseph found favour in the eyes of
the keeper of the prison; Elijah was fed by ravens; the hungry lions
forbore to touch Daniel, &c.[2]
+III. God would have His people to be only sojourners in Moab.+ His
outcasts were merely to _dwell_ there; they were not to be
incorporated with the Moabitish nation; they were not to adopt either
the social customs or the religious beliefs of that people. In like
manner He would have His people remember always that in this world
they are only sojourners (1 Pet. ii. 11; H. E. I., 5026-5065).
FOOTNOTES:
[2] "I have long looked for you," said a persecuting magistrate
to a poor woman, "and now I commit you to prison; and then
what will you do?" "If it please my Heavenly Father," she
replied, "I shall be fed at your table;" and so she was,
for his own wife, who sat by, sent her daily food (Ps.
lxxxiv. 11, 12).
FRUITLESS SUPPLICATIONS.[1]
144
xvi. 12. _He shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he
shall not prevail._
+I. In times of sorrow they are often seen in the sanctuary.+ Many
who at other times lead openly irreligious lives are then seen using
the forms of devotion. This is natural (H. E. I., 3718); it is not
wrong; that which is wrong is the infrequency with which the
sanctuary is visited and prayer offered by them (H. E. I., 3878,
3879). It is natural and fitting that in time of trouble man should
seek God in the sanctuary, for the sanctuary is the place--1. Of
_special promise_ (Exod. xx. 24; Deut. xii. 5; 1 Kings ix. 3; Matt.
xviii. 20). 2. Of _special means._ Everything there tends to the
production and increase of a devotional spirit (H. E. I., 5078).
3. Of _special memory_--of memories of help obtained, of sorrows
solaced in former times.
II. But all this makes more remarkable the other fact of which these
words may well remind us, that +many of the supplications that are
offered in the sanctuary are offered in vain.+ We know that this is a
fact: how is it to be explained? In such ways as these--1. _Many of
the suppliants have little or no faith,_ and faith is the essential
condition of blessing (H. E. I., 3827-3830). 2. _Many of the
suppliants are not really in earnest,_ and lukewarmness is an offence
to the Divine Being (H. E. I., 3814, 3815, 3831-3838). 3. _Many of
the suppliants are not really penitent._ Their prayers are mere calls
for help in time of distress, and God has nowhere promised to help
the impenitent and rebellious (H. E. I., 3846, 3858; P. D., 3595).
To point out the causes of the weakness and failure of such prayers
is also to point out the remedies that must be applied if the
suppliants would have their prayers "prevail."--_William Manning._
FOOTNOTES:
145
DIMINUTIONS AND CHANGES OF LIFE.
+II. The uses we should make of the subject.+ 1. _It should impress
us with the vanity of earthly things._ All fleeting, all retiring;
like the seasons, like streams. 2. _The folly of earthly-mindedness._
How extreme! Grasping shadows, resting on the moving wave, building
castles in the air, &c. 3. _The necessity of wisely using our
opportunities._ For the best ends. Working while it is day--now,
while we have light and life. 4. _Seeking a fitness for the world of
the future_ (Heb. x. 34; xi. 13-16). 5. _Believing and devotional
confidence in God._
146
give hope. There is here true gospel, suggesting such thoughts as
these:--1. _Begin at the point of your ability, however low it may
be._ Every man is rightly expected to make use of whatever power he
has. If it is only sight, or only hearing, or only one hand, one
talent out of ten, he must use it. The loss of the other nine will
not excuse his neglect of the one he has. 2. _Beginning thus low
down, yet in earnest, we have the assurance of improvement and
progress._ We have abundant illustration of this in the history of
the "remnant" that was left in Israel (2 Chron. xxx. 11; xxxiv. 6, 9,
&c.). We see here an encouragement for every sinner who will awake,
though late, to the true purposes of life. Redemption is the
favourite work of God. He is on the side of feeble, struggling men,
and delights to encourage and help "the remnant" which is spared
(H. E. I., 934-941, 956, 958, 2368, 4790-4792; P. D., 474). The very
purpose for which Christ came into the world was to help the
struggling, to save the lost. Those who have been brought down to the
extremity and need and the verge of despair may find friendship and
help in Him (H. E. I., 928, 929).--_William Manning._
SANCTIFIED AFFLICTION.
+I. To recall their wandering hearts to Himself.+ _"At that day shall
a man look to his Maker"_ (H. E. I., 56-59, 66-70). This is the
result of sanctified affliction. Whenever it is seen, it shows that
the processes of grace have been combined with the trials of
providence, and that the health of the spirit has been restored by
the Physician of souls. Otherwise affliction hardens, and the man
goes back with greater eagerness to worldliness or iniquity, as the
retreating wave presently rolls back upon the beach with greater
velocity than before (H. E. I., 223-228). But not so if the healing
influence has been sought and found. Then "a man will look to his
maker"--1. With a _suppliant_ eye, to find in Him sources of
consolation and a rock of defence such as the world cannot furnish
(Ps. cxxiii. 1, 2; Jonah ii. 1). 2. With a _penitent_ eye (Luke
xxii. 62; Zech. xii. 10). 3. With a _confiding_ and _believing_ eye
(chap. viii. 17). 4. With a _rejoicing_ eye (Rom. v. 11; Hab.
iii. 18).
147
+III. To separate them from all sinful and idolatrous dependencies.+
_"He shall not look,"_ &c. The sin of the ten tribes was idolatry
(2 Kings xvii. 16), but here it is foretold that it shall be brought
to an end. Those who had been guilty of this folly and this sin would
not even _look_ at the altars and the images they had fashioned with
such care. So God aims by his afflictive providences to separate His
people from everything in which they put an exaggerated and unworthy
trust (H. E. I., 110, 111).
+IV. To endear the mercy that mingles with the trials.+ This
appears--1. In the moderate degree in which God's people are
corrected, compared with the final and exterminating judgments which
fall upon the wicked. Damascus was to be utterly destroyed (ver. 1),
but a remnant was to be left to Israel (ver. 5; see also chap.
xxvii. 7-9). God's people always see that He has afflicted them less
than they deserve (Lam. iii. 22).[1] 2. In the alleviations of their
trials (H. E. I., 117-121). 3. In the triumphant issue of the whole.
They are delivered from the idolatry by which they were degraded
(H. E. I., 116).--_Samuel Thodey._
FOOTNOTES:
FORGETFULNESS OF GOD.
148
men live, to which they devote all they are and have, from which they
look for the happiness for which their hearts crave; these are their
_gods!_ Forgetfulness of God necessarily leads to idolatry in some
form or other; desires and tendencies, in themselves right when under
right control, become occasions of guilt; God is shifted from the
centre of operations, and the trust of men itself inevitably on
unworthy objects (H. E. I., 39).
Earnestly consider God's claims upon you; renounce all false trusts;
sow for that harvest in which there can be no real disappointment
(Gal. vi. 7). Redeem the time that yet remains; to the worst of us a
gracious promise is still held out (Mal. iii. 7; Ps.
cxvi. 7).--_William Manning._
149
(P. D., 684). II. _Of the restless execution of the sentence of
doom._ In pursuit of their wicked schemes, sinners are often led to a
daring defiance of all who threaten their progress, even of God
Himself; _e.g.,_ Pharaoh (Exod. v. 2), Sennacherib (2 Kings
xviii. 17, &c.). But how sharp is the rebuke which God administers;
with what terrible energy are His decrees executed! The profane
boasters become as chaff, as gossamer before the whirlwind (H. E. I.,
2298). III. _Of the swiftness with which the sentence of doom is
executed_ (ver. 14). The morning dawns upon their noise and pomp, but
fast as the beams of light does their judgment overtake them; trouble
comes at the eventide, and by the next morning they are not (P. D.,
3413). It is true that the punishment of the wicked often seems to be
delayed (Eccl. viii. 11); but--1. Sin and punishment are inseparable
(H. E. I., 4603-4610); and, 2. Whenever the punishment comes it is
sudden. Such is the blinding and delusive power of cherished sin that
its penalty always finds the sinner unprepared to receive it; it is
always a surprise and a shock to him.
150
danger very threatening, our enemies very powerful, our ruin very
awful, but help is laid on One that is mighty. The greatness of
Christ as a Saviour appears from the essential dignity of His nature
(Heb. i. 1), from the certain efficacy of His atonement (Heb.
vii. 25), from the countless number of the redeemed (Rev. vii. 9),
from the completeness of the salvation He imparts (1 Cor.
i. 30).--_Samuel Thodey._
FOOTNOTES:
CHASTISEMENT.
There are three distinct prophecies in this chapter, and they are all
termed _burdens,_ as denoting heavy judgments. The first respects
Babylon; the next, _Dumah,_ Idumea, or Edom, inhabiting Mount Seir;
and the last, Arabia.
The fall of Babylon by the Medes and Persians is announced under the
form of a _watchman_ stationed to discover approaching objects, with
orders to declare what he saw (vers. 6-9). It was an event peculiarly
interesting to Judah. Babylon was the floor on which Judah was to be
threshed, till the refuse should be separated from the grain. The
event which destroyed the one delivered the other (ver. 10).
151
The fall of Babylon was interesting to other nations as well as
Judah; particularly to the Idumeans or Edomites, who were reduced to
servitude within a few years after the taking of Jerusalem. Now,
seeing that Judah had received a favourable report, Edom must needs
inquire of the watchman (like Pharaoh's baker of Joseph, after he had
announced good tidings to the butler), whether there was nothing
equally favourable to them. [We are not to understand, however, that
messengers were really sent out of Edom to Isaiah; the process was
merely a pneumatical one.--_Delitzsch._] The answer is, NOTHING; but,
on the contrary, the lot of Judah's enemies, "a burden."
The revolution would indeed, for a time, excite the joy of the
conquered nations (chap. xiv. 7, 8); but the Edomites should meet
with a disappointment. To them a change of government should only be
a change of masters. The fair morning of their hopes should issue in
a long and dark night of despondency. In the day of Babylon's fall,
according to the prayer of the captives, when every prisoner was
lifting up his head in hope, Edom was _remembered,_ as excepted from
an act of grace, on account of his singular atrocities (Ps.
cxxxvii. 7-9).
The Edomites were very impatient under the Babylonish yoke, and very
importunate in their inquiries after deliverance; reiterating the
question, "What of the night? Watchman, what of the night?" When will
this dark and long captivity be ended? And now that their hopes are
repulsed by the watchman's answer, they are exceedingly unwilling to
relinquish them. Loth to depart with an answer so ungrateful, they
linger, and _inquire_ again and again, in hopes that the sentence may
be reversed. But they are told that all their lingering is in vain.
"If ye will inquire, inquire ye, return, come" again; yet shall your
answer be the same.
And what was the crime of the Edomites that should draw down upon
them this heavy _burden,_ this irresistible doom? _Their inveterate
hatred of the people of God_ (Obad. 10). Perhaps there was no nation
whose treatment of Israel was so invariably spiteful, and whose
enmity was accompanied with such aggravating circumstances. They were
descended from Abraham and Isaac, and were treated by Israel, at the
time they came out of Egypt, as brethren; but as they then returned
evil for good (Num. xx. 14-21), so it was ever afterwards. Their
conduct, on the melancholy occasion of Jerusalem being taken by the
Chaldeans, was infamous (Obad. 10-16).
152
inquiries after deliverance are now utterly disregarded._ Such will
be the end of sinners. "When once the Judge hath risen up and shut
the door," they may begin to knock, may inquire and return, and come
again, but all will be in vain; a night of ever-during darkness must
be their portion.
The whole Bible has, as its common and pervading argument, one mighty
subject, which, appearing in a thousand different forms, is
substantially the same in every page of the sacred volume. That
subject is, the salvation appointed for the chosen of mankind and the
ruin decreed for those who reject the offer. Therefore when the
prophetic Scriptures publish to us promises of peace and
denunciations of woe, let us never deem that the Divine Spirit had no
_ulterior_ purpose in these predictions. Let us never cast aside the
volume and cry that we are not Edom, or Egypt, or Babylon, or Tyre;
and that, therefore, we have nothing to do either with their crimes
or their punishment. Let us not vainly dream that the mighty
machinery of the prophetic messages was put into play merely to call
down curses on a few of the temporary dynasties of this perishable
world! "All Scripture was written for _our_ use," and these
"springing and germinant prophecies" (as they have been called) have
a significancy beyond the revolutions of petty kingdoms. They
represent, in majestic order and manifest type, the great truths of
eternal salvation and eternal ruin; they exhibit, in the sensible
language of exterior imagery, what the great Teacher of after-times
gave in the higher language of spiritual truth. If the laws of God be
uniform and unchangeable, we are justified in reading by this light
from _heaven_ the prophetic declarations of the course and principles
of His earthly providences.
With such views as these elevating our thoughts beyond the details of
perished empires into the mightier truths of the eternal empire of
our God, let us reflect briefly upon the words before us.
153
true morning of hope and peace) cometh, and also the night (the real
and terrible night of God's vengeance); if ye will (if ye are in
genuine earnest to inquire), inquire! Return, come." Obtain the
knowledge you see, the knowledge of the way of life; and, acting upon
this knowledge, repent and return to the Lord your God.
Regard, then, the guilty Edom that is warned; and the office and
answer of the watchman who warns it.
I cannot now undertake to count over the array of those who address
the spiritual watchmen of the Church of Christ in tones of derision,
and mock their ministry. Some there are who ask the report of "the
night" with utter carelessness as to the reply; some there are who
ask it in contempt.
But what is still the duty of him who holds the momentous position of
watchman in the city of God? On the occasion before us, remark--1. He
did not turn away from the question, in whatever spirit it was asked.
2. He uttered with equal assurance a threat and a promise. 3. He
pressed the necessity of care in the study, and earnest inquiry after
the nature, of the truth; and he summed up all in an anxious, a
cordial, and reiterated invitation to repentance and reconciliation
with an offended but pardoning God. Thus, the single verse might be
regarded as an abstract of the duties of the ministerial office.--_W.
Archer Butler: Sermons,_ vol. ii. pp. 339-345.
1. _When the Christian looks out upon the world, he sees himself
surrounded by the night of unbelief and irreligion, and yet he
beholds streaks of sunny dawn._ There are many things at which if he
looked exclusively he would despair--materialism taught by popular
teachers, atheism the creed of not a few, abounding luxury,
sensuality defiling and degrading all classes of the community. But,
looking beyond these, he sees evidences of Christian truth and hope
such as the world never before witnessed--Sunday-schools, tract
societies, home and foreign missions, various organisations for
Christian labour, generously supported and efficiently maintained;
and, as he looks, he feels that the morning draweth nigh.
154
II. _When the Christian man looks into his own heart, he sees much
that speaks of the night, but much also that tells of the coming
morning._
III. _The Christless man, as well as the Christian, may well ask,
"What of the night?"_ He may relieve the gloom of his existence by a
few sparks of transient merriment, but soon they will be all
extinguished; and for him there will be no morning!--_W. M. Statham:
Christian World Pulpit,_ iii. 193.
155
entrusted give it promptly, clearly, joyfully. 2. _The answer
declares God's methods with men._ God has two great methods: one has
its image in the _morning,_ the other in the _night._ Let _morning_
set forth compassion, tender mercy, loving gifts; _night,_ judgment,
awful anger, heavy inflictions. If the morning be neglected or
resisted, then the night will certainly fall upon you. Note the order
in which these methods are employed. 1. _Morning,_ fresh, clear,
dewy, bracing, beautiful, comes first. So in the history of the
world, of the Church, of the individual. First the morning of youth!
prize it highly, use it wisely. Upon the sinner comes first the
morning of mercy, of invitation, of entreaty and promise. Alas that
he should despise and neglect it! 2. But the _night_ comes
afterwards! True, the night of death comes to all, but there is an
infinite distance between death _in_ Christ and death _out of_
Christ. He who dies _in_ Christ, passes into the eternal day; he who
dies _out of_ Christ, is cast into "the outer darkness!"
I. THE WORLD'S CRY. _"What of the night?"_ This is--1. _The cry of a
soul awakened to its guilt._ The very purpose of conviction is to
show the sinner his wandering, downward, benighted state. Hence the
terror which first views of guilt usually cause. The flash which in
the midnight hour shows the traveller the path of safety, also shows
him the dreadful precipice which yawns at his feet. When the sinner
is aroused from his sinful career, he is bewildered by the many
voices of hope and fear, of warning and promise, which greet his ear;
he is oppressed with anxiety to know how such a night of danger and
heart-searching will end. 2. _The cry of a soul struggling with its
doubts._ The night of mystery often burdens the hearts of true
believers, as Job and David found when they struggled with the great
problems of life. Life is a new thing to each of us, and many of the
same problems perplex us still: _e.g.,_ the existence of moral evil,
the infinite goodness of God, the truth of Divine revelation. These
sometimes press upon us with unusual weight, and shroud us in thick
darkness. 3. _The cry of the Church in its hours of anxiety and
peril._ These have been frequent, and have been due to many causes:
_e.g.,_ persecution from without, indifference within, general
ungodliness and unholy living, tides of scepticism. The watchmen of
the Church have to keep an earnest and anxious vigil when such nights
as these settle upon her. 4. _The cry of humanity itself._ There are
times when not merely a few men are oppressed by the burdens of their
time, but when men in the mass become awake to them. The world
betrays its keen sense of disease by the strong remedies it employs.
Against wide-spread ignorance, it opposes vast educational schemes;
for deep-rooted vices, it contrives various measures of reformation;
under a sense of the terrible ravages of the war-spirit, it yearns
for international peace. Nations, as well as individuals, have trying
156
experiences of the terrors of social and moral night.
II. THE WORLD'S HOPE. _"The morning cometh."_ In the midst of all the
world's darkness we may cherish this blessed hope (H. E. I.,
3421-3423). But whence is it derived? Solely from the fact that God
in Christ is reconciling the world unto Himself. It is along the
track of Divine revelation that we look for the bright rays of the
morning. There is hope for our race because of what Christ is--the
Revealer of God, the Saviour of sinners, the Head of the Church, the
Restorer of humanity. The way, then, to help on the dawning of that
day we all long to see, is to live _in_ Him, to live _for_ Him. Life
derived from Him, and spent for Him, will be truly blessed in itself,
and will be a means of blessing others.--_William Manning._
157
for war check the progress of those agencies by which the misery of
our race would be abated, and its happiness indefinitely increased.
The cause of education, of mission, of the Gospel, languishes under
the blight of the war-spirit. The cost of a very few wars would
evangelise the world (P. D., 3476).
xxii. 18. _He will surely violently turn and toss thee like
a ball into a large country._
xxii. 24. _And they shall hang upon him all the glory of
his father's house--_
158
I. THE GLORY THAT IS PLACED UPON CHRIST. Applying the text to Christ,
the phrase "His father's house" acquired a new and more glorious
significance, even that of the Church of the living God, the one
family in heaven and on earth. All the glory of that spiritual and
eternal house depends upon and is justly ascribed to Christ. 1. _All
the glory of purchasing the Church._ All the persons of whom it is
composed were in circumstances of bondage and misery, yea, under
sentence of death, for which He ransomed them at inconceivable cost
(1 Pet. i. 18, 19). 2. _All the glory of redeeming the Church._ This
is not a mere repetition of what has just been said. We are the
subjects of a twofold redemption--a redemption of price and a
redemption of power. From the penalties of sin Christ redeemed us by
His blood; from the power of sin, by His Spirit. A supremely
difficult and an eternally glorious task is that which He thus
undertook and has accomplished. 3. _All the glory of preserving the
Church._ What a marvellous history of dangers and deliverances it has
had! 4. _All the glory of perfecting the Church._ It shall be
complete in number, complete and resplendent with every spiritual
grace. Remember what marvellous symbols are employed to set forth the
beauty and the preciousness of its component parts, what treasures of
spiritual wisdom and grace are already included in it. Hereafter,
when it shall stand in all its radiance, the wonder and the
admiration of all heavenly intelligences, all the glory of it shall
hang upon Christ.
II. THE PERSONS WHO UNITE IN PLACING THIS GLORY ON CHRIST. "_They_
shall hang," &c. 1. The penitent sinner hangs upon Christ all the
glory of his hope of acceptance with God. 2. The justified believer
hangs upon Him all the glory of the favoured position in which he
stands. 3. The spiritual veteran hangs upon Him all the glory of his
triumphs. 4. The dying Christian hangs upon Him all the glory of the
calmness and courage with which he advances to the final victory.
5. The glorified Church hangs upon Him all the glory of its perfected
salvation. 6. Angels and archangels, though they were not the
subjects of redemption, join in the song of salvation (Rev.
v. 11-13), and ascribe to Him all the splendour in which they shine.
7. GOD exalted Him to the right hand of power, and gave Him a Name
above every name (Phil. ii. 9-11).
I. THE STATE HERE SUPPOSED. _"In the fires."_ Fire and water are both
Scriptural figures of affliction (Ps. lxvi. 12; Isa. xliii. 2; 1 Pet.
159
iv. 12). Stripped of metaphor, the passage before us supposes a state
of suffering. In this state we may be found--1. As _men_ (Job v. 6,
7; H. E. I., 47-51); 2. As _Christians_ (Ps. xxxiv. 19). This may
seem strange to the natural man, who concludes that the favourite of
Heaven is entitled to every indulgence upon earth; and it has proved
a source of temptation to the people of God themselves, who have been
led from their sufferings to suspect their safety. But this inference
is unscriptural (Heb. ii. 10; Isa. liii. 10; Matt. x. 25; Heb.
xii. 6; H. E. I., 189-196). Could we view many of those who are
infinitely dear to God, we should find them in a state of affliction,
often exceedingly trying; and we should see them there, not hardening
themselves by infidel reasonings or stoical apathy; not endeavouring
to banish all sense of their sorrows by repairing to the dissipations
of the world; but waiting humbly upon God (Ps. lxi. 1, 2; H. E. I.,
157, 158). This is well; but it is not enough to _seek_ God in our
afflictions, we must _serve_ Him. Consider, then--
II. THE DUTY HERE ENJOINED. _"Glorify,"_ &c. We cannot add to God's
essential glory, but we can declare it; we can make it more fully and
widely known (Ps. xix. 1). This is the duty to which we are at all
times called (1 Pet. ii. 9). We discharge it in affliction, when we
verbally and practically acknowledge--1. God's _agency,_ recognising
that our trial has not come upon us by accident, but by His
appointment or permission (Job ii. 10; H. E. I., 143; P. D., 92, 99).
2. His _rectitude_ (Ps. cxlv. 17; Dan. ix. 7; Ps. cxix. 75). 3. His
_wisdom,_ which regulated His corrections and every circumstance
connected with them. He never errs in the time, the place, the kind,
the instrument, the continuance of affliction; it is precisely the
very thing we need, and nothing could be altered without injury
(H. E. I., 179-188). 4. His _goodness,_ in sending the affliction at
all (H. E. I., 162-165), and in the alleviations and compensations by
which it is accompanied (H. E. I., 117-121). A grateful mind will
never overlook these. 5. His _power,_ to support us in the
affliction, and in due season to deliver us from it. All the records
of Scripture should minister to our faith in His ability to help and
deliver; He is unchangeable; He is as near you as He was to His
people of old; and you are as dear to Him as they were (H. E. I.,
198-202).
III. REASONS FOR DISCHARGING THE DUTY. We ought to glorify God in the
fires--1. Because _it is our duty to honour Him at all times, and
affliction cannot possibly exempt us from it._ Though He has
permitted affliction to come upon us, He still remains our Creator,
our Preserver, our Benefactor, our Redeemer, and as such is entitled
to the homage of our heart and life. 2. Because _affliction furnishes
one of the finest opportunities_ for honouring God (H. E. I.,
3692-3694). 3. _Hope should animate us,_ because it is distinctly
declared that those who honour God shall be honoured by Him.
But can we, who are so weak, perform a duty so hard? No, _you_ cannot
do it; but the grace of God will be sufficient even for this. View
160
your difficulties in connection with your supplies, God's commands in
connection with His promises, and boldly face them all (Phil. iv. 12,
13).--_William Jay: Works,_ vol. xii. pp. 159-169.
I. THE CONNECTION BETWEEN GOD AND OURSELVES. 1. The Lord is our God
in a necessary and absolute sense. 2. He should be our God by choice
(H. E. I., 306, 307, 2381, 2385, 4630-4647, 4970). 3. If He is thus
to become our God, it must be through the person and work of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and by the exercise of an appropriating faith
(H. E. I., 1652).
The blessings of the Gospel are, with wise adaptation to our views
and feelings, often compared to the objects in which man naturally
take most delight; and here, as in other places, they are compared to
a costly entertainment bestowed by the Sovereign of the universe on
the children of His love. It was the custom of Oriental monarchs on
great occasions to make rich feasts on a scale of magnificence, of
which we in the West can form scarcely any idea (Esther i. 3-7).[1]
At these entertainments wise men were often assembled, and important
questions in morals and literature were discussed: hence the benefits
of knowledge and wisdom were often exhibited under the image of a
great feast (Prov. ix. 1-5). The prophet, as our Lord Himself
afterwards (Matt. xxii. 1-3; Luke xiv. 16-24), speaks in accordance
with the habits of thinking common in his time, when he sets forth
the blessings of the Gospel under the image of a great feast.
I. A BANQUET OF GRACE AND SALVATION SPREAD FOR THE NEEDY (ver. 6).
1. _It is a feast worthy of the Founder_ (Esther i. 7). He who
studies it most closely, will be most struck by the vastness of the
resources and the magnificence of the generosity of Him who spread
161
it. 2. _It is eminently a feast of reconciliation and restored
friendship._ The feasts of the ancients were often connected with
sacrificial rites, were employed to confirm covenants, and to
celebrate the reconciliation of those who had been estranged and at
enmity with each other. We have an interesting illustration of all
this in what we are told of Jacob and Laban (Gen. xxxi. 43-55). When
Joseph was about to reveal himself in love to his brethren, and to
unite them all in a new bond of peace, he made a feast for them (Gen.
xliii. 31-34). So did the father of the prodigal, to testify the
perfectness of his reconciliation to his guilty but penitent child
(Luke xv. 23). The feast of which our text speaks, is a feast founded
upon a sacrifice; it is a feast of reconciliation effected by means
of sacrifice; it is the sublime and glorious realisation of the
ancient symbol of the feast that followed upon the presentation of
the peace-offering (Lev. vii. 11-16). It is the fact that it is a
feast of reconciliation that gives sweetness and preciousness to all
the sweet and precious things of which it is composed, just as it was
the fact that they symbolised his restoration to his place in his
father's home and heart that made the ring, and the robe, and all the
choice viands before him, delightful to the pardoned prodigal (chap.
xii. 1; Rom. v. 1, 2, 11). 3. _Its magnificence and its
delightfulness are heightened by the number of those who partake of
it._ The rich provisions of the Gospel are as widely spread as they
are widely needed. This is a joy to the Christian, for to a noble
mind happiness multiplied is happiness heightened.
II. ILLUMINATION FOR THE IGNORANT (ver. 7). There was a symbolical
fulfilment of this prophecy in the hour of our Saviour's death (Matt.
xxvii. 51); that which had hidden the Holy of Holies from the sight
of men was rent in twain. A spiritual fulfilment of it is the need of
the world and of each individual: by a veil of ignorance and
prejudice the truths which it would be to their highest interest to
see clearly. This is declared concerning the Jews (2 Cor. iii. 15),
but it is just as true of the majority of the Gentiles: they also see
no desirableness in Christ, no preciousness in the salvation He
offers them. But this destructive veil has been taken away from the
hearts of millions, and shall yet be removed from the heart of a
vaster multitude--by the diffusion of God's Word, the preaching of
the Gospel, and the accompanying agency of the Holy Spirit. The
preliminary fulfilment of this prophecy at the day of Pentecost (Acts
ii. 5, 41) shall have still more glorious counterparts in the not
distant future.
III. CONSOLATION FOR THE SORROWING AND LIFE FOR THE DYING (ver. 8).
* * * * * * * *
162
Thodey._
+I. The Gospel speaks to men of a feast.+ It assumes that they are
spiritually destitute, in actual danger of perishing, and it tells
them of a feast. 1. A feast _provided for all_ (ver. 6). Christ came
not for the exclusive benefit of Jew or Gentile; He came for _man_
(Luke xix. 10). He invites all to share in the blessings He has
provided (Luke xiv. 16), and declares that the invitation will not be
given in vain (Matt. viii. 11). 2. _A feast of the best things._
Suggested here by the richness and flavour of wines long preserved.
We are apt to miss the truth that the blessings which the Gospel
offers are of the richest quality and of the highest value
conceivable; we act as if it required us to give up a certain good
for a doubtful and visionary one. This accounts for the eagerness
with which men seek first "the world," regarding "the kingdom of God"
as something to be made room for after all else has been obtained
(H. E. I., 5006, 5007).
163
The parable of the Great Supper (Matt. xxii. 1-14) illustrates this
prophecy. Consider--
+II. The nature of the feast.+ Not only the best, but the best of the
best; bountiful supply; rich variety.
+III. The persons for whom this feast has been prepared.+ All may
partake of it; only those are excluded who exclude themselves. 1. Are
you making excuses? Will your excuses stand the test of the day of
judgment? You must partake, or perish! Delay not; for, as far as you
are concerned, the feast will soon be over. Not now too late; "yet
there is room." 2. Are you participants? What present blessings; what
future glories! Bless the Founder's Name. Seek to bring others to the
feast.--_Henry Creswell._
164
Other entertainments may be confined to the rich, the great, and the
noble; here all such distinctions are done away. Christianity is a
universal religion, designed to redeem and gladden the whole world.
Its invitations are extended to all (Prov. ix. 1-5; Rev.
xxii. 17).--_William Reeve, M.A., Miscellaneous Discourses_ (pp.
229-237).
III. THE HOST OF THE FEAST. _"The Lord of hosts."_ 1. The Lord makes
it, and makes it all. It is utterly improper for us to bring anything
of our own to it; the Lord provides even the wedding-garment in which
we are to sit at it, and no other will be allowed. 2. Only the Lord
of hosts could have provided what man needed. But He has done it, and
done it effectually. 3. As the Lord of hosts has provided the feast,
it is not to be despised. To despise it will show our folly, and
involve us in great guilt. 4. As He has provided all the feast, let
Him have all the glory.
165
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Alexander gave a feast after his return from India of five
days' continuance, when ninety marriages were celebrated
and nine thousand guests assembled. Diodorus Siculus
describes the festivities with which Antisthenes, a rich
citizen of Agrigentum (B.C. 414), celebrated the marriage
of his daughter: all the citizens of Agrigentum were
entertained at his expense on tables laid for them at their
own doors, beside a great number of strangers. The
festivities, as in the parable of the Ten Virgins, took
place in the evening, and the whole city was one blaze of
light. The Roman and Egyptian banquets were proverbial for
their costliness and splendour. In Persia still, royal
banquets are prolonged for many weeks; and a Chinese
emperor used frequently to make a feast that lasted a
hundred and twenty days.--_Thodey._
[2] _Old_ wines are intended by "wines well refined;" they have
stood long on the lees, have drawn out all the virtue from
them, and have been cleared of all the coarser material. In
the East, wine will be improved by keeping even more than
the wines of the West! and even so the mercies of God are
the sweeter to our meditations because of their antiquity.
From old eternity, or ever the earth was, the covenant
engagements of everlasting love have been resting like
wines on the lees, and to-day they bring to us the utmost
riches of all the attributes of God.--_Spurgeon._
+I. The deliverance of Christ's people from death.+ "He will swallow
up death in victory"--as the rods of the magicians were swallowed up
by the rod of Aaron; as the hosts of Pharaoh were swallowed up by the
waters of the Red Sea; as the darkness of the night is swallowed up
in the brightness of the morning. True, God's people must depart
hence, like other people; but in regard to them Christ "has swallowed
166
up death in victory." 1. By imparting to them a spiritual life and
blessedness which are not touched by the dissolution of the union of
body and soul. 2. By sustaining and comforting them while that
mysterious process is being accomplished. How often has the deathbed
of the believer been a scene of triumph! 3. By utterly changing the
character of death in regard to them. To them it is not a curse but a
blessing (H. E. I., 1571-1594, 1594-1643). 4. By the promises which
on the morning of the resurrection He will surely fulfil. "THEN," &c.
(1 Cor. xv. 54; H. E. I., 4334-4354).
+II. The deliverance of Christ's people from sorrow.+ "The Lord God
will wipe away tears from off all faces,"--tears of sorrow for sin;
of mourning under affliction, trials, and bereavements; of grief
caused by the wickedness of men and the injury done to the cause of
truth and righteousness: all shall be wiped away, every cause of
sorrow brought to an end.
+III. The deliverance of Christ's people from the shame and contempt
of the world.+--_Samuel Thodey._
A SORROWLESS WORLD.
xxv. 8. _And the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all
faces._
+II. Proceed to look at God removing sorrow.+ "The Lord God will wipe
away tears from off all faces." How great the enterprise! Yet how
sufficient, though unexpected and startling, is the agency He
employs: on this mission of mercy He has sent His own Son. God as His
manner is, works from within outwards; He not only wipes off all
tears, He removes their cause. That cause is sin. But how does He
destroy sin in the human soul? 1. By revealing it, by showing its
essential hideousness--one of the revelations of the cross of Christ.
It is not until we perceive the costliness of the atonement of sin,
that we begin to suspect its terribleness and hatefulness. 2. By
showing that sin can be conquered. This is the glorious message and
proclamation of the life of the Man Christ Jesus. 3. By furnishing a
motive that shall stimulate us to the conflict with sin which will
end in victory. That motive is found in the love for Christ which
springs up in the soul when we view Him dying on the cross in our
stead. 4. In the same marvellous spectacle we see that which alone
167
can pacify conscience, and which does pacify it. Believing, our fears
and our sorrows flee away; our mourning is turned into joy. The
supreme need of the soul is met in reconciliation with God. A
sorrowless life is begun. But that is not all. Having destroyed--_in_
destroying sin in the soul, God implants righteousness (chap.
xxxii. 17). He creates as well as destroys. He introduces into our
thoughts, words, actions, a Divine order, and therefore a Divine
beauty and blessedness. All sorrow springs from infractions of this
order; this is seen in national, social, individual life. In
proportion as it is restored, tears are wiped away. The great Agent
by whom this work is accomplished is His own Spirit; but He works by
means, and the chief instruments He employs are those who, in various
ways, are promoting the knowledge and practice of the will of God in
the world. In this work we may share; this possibility is the glory
of our life. By the progress of Christian truth, how many tears have
been already wiped away! In spite of every obstacle, the glorious
work shall proceed, with ever-accelerating triumphs. There is a
better day dawning for our race (H. E. I., 3421-3423). Nothing can
bring it in but the Gospel. All other agencies--commerce, education,
literature, art, legislation--have been tried and have failed. He who
loves humanity will consecrate himself to the furtherance of the
Gospel; and he who does so shall share in that joy of redeeming the
world from sin and sorrow by the hope of which Christ was sustained
amid the sufferings He endured for this great end.--_Thomas Neave._
168
servants of God as was the deliverance of Jerusalem from the Assyrian
army.
3. But between the days of Hezekiah and the final judgment there is
another event closer to the prophet's thought--the appearance of the
great Deliverer in the midst of human history. All that belongs to
the nearer history of Judah melts away in the future which belongs to
the King Messiah. The Assyrians themselves are replaced in his
thoughts by the greater enemies of humanity; the city of David and
Mount Zion become the spiritual city of God, the mountain of the Lord
of hosts, the Church of the Divine Redeemer. Here, as so often, the
incarnation of the eternal Son of God, with its vast and incalculable
consequences to the world of souls, is the keynote of Isaiah's
deepest thought, and in our text he epitomises the heart-song of
Christendom, which ascends day by day to the throne of the Redeemer.
(1.) _"Lo, this is our God."_ Christ is not for us Christians merely
or chiefly the preacher or herald of a religion of which another
being, distinct from Himself, is its object. The Gospel creed does
not run thus, "There is no God but God, and Christ is His prophet."
When He appears to the soul of man at the crisis of its penitence, or
its conversion, the greeting which meets and befits Him is not, "Lo,
this is the good man sent for God to teach some high and forgotten
moral truths;" no, but, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him;
He will save us!" (H. E. I., 835-845). (2.) So might the Jews, the
children of the prophets, have sung; so did some of those who entered
most deeply into the meaning of the promises given to their fathers
(Luke i. 46-55, 68-79; ii. 29-32). (3.) So might the noble
philosophers of Greece have sung; so they did sing when, in Christ
the incarnate God, of whom they had dreamed and for whom they had
sought, was revealed to them. (4.) So have sung in all ages that
multitude of human souls whom a profound sense of moral need has
brought to the feet of the Redeemer (H. E. I., 948-971).--_H. P.
Liddon, M.A.: Christian World Pulpit,_ vol. xiii. pp. 1-3.
I. WHAT ARE THOSE COMINGS OF CHRIST WHICH ARE THE OCCASION OF JOY TO
THE CHURCH? 1. _His coming in the flesh,_ His incarnation. To this
His people had looked forward; in it they rejoiced. Good cause had
they for gladness, for He came to spread the gospel feast, to remove
the clouds of ignorance and error, to destroy the reign of sin and
death. 2. _His coming in the Spirit,_ at the day of Pentecost; in the
experience of the individual soul, in the hours of penitence, of
temptation, of sorrow. His coming in the flesh was the great promise
of the Old Testament; His coming in the Spirit is the great promise
of the New. 3. _His coming to receive the soul to glory._ He comes
unchanged. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His
saints. 4. _His coming to bring the present dispensation to a close._
It may be heralded by many alarming and distressing events, but it
will be itself a cause for joy. To the wicked it will be a day of
unmixed terror, but to the righteous of gladness; for it will bring
them redemption from the power of every sin, from the assault of
every enemy; every fetter will be broken, every cloud dispelled.
169
+I. In the day of judgment nothing will inspire us with joy and
confidence but a real interest in Jesus Christ.+ The ungodly now
possess many sources of present enjoyment; but in that day they will
have ceased for ever. One grand, all-important idea will then fill
the mind: "The solemn day of account is come; how shall I abide in
it? How shall I endure the presence of the heart-searching Judge?"
But whence can this assurance be obtained? Only from an interest in
Jesus Christ. Those who do not possess it will then be filled with
shame and terror; but, amid all its terrors, those who do possess it
will be enabled to rejoice.
The chapter from which these words are taken contains a noble
description of the glory and grace of God, of His glory in ruling
irresistibly the nations of the earth, and in crushing the enemies of
His Church, of His glory and grace in the salvation of mankind. It
records by anticipation the triumphs of the Gospel, the downfall of
the powers of darkness, the annihilation of death itself, the reign
of perpetual peace and joy.
170
Holy Ghost; but this is OUR GOD, this is Emmanuel--God with us--God
manifest in the flesh.
+III. A declaration of His atoning work.+ How vast that work He took
on Himself to execute,--the reconciliation in His own person of
sinful man to an offended God, the overthrow of the kingdom of Satan,
and the abolition of death! No man could have performed it (Ps.
xlix. 7). Could any of the angels, then, have taken in hand this
enterprise? Beyond the power, above the conception of any being of
limited goodness, knowledge and power, it could only be accomplished
by the Divine Son of God. It was God's work, devised and executed by
Omnipotence.
FOOTNOTES:
171
religious Jew must have watched the growth of those mighty
Oriental despotisms which, rising one after the other in
the valley of the Euphrates and of the Tigris, aspired to
nothing less than the conquest of the known world. The
victory of a conqueror like Sennacherib meant the
extinction of national life and of personal liberty in the
conquered people; it meant often enough violent
transportation from their homes, separation from their
families, with all the degrading and penal accompaniments
of complete subjugation. It meant this to the conquered
pagan cities; for Jerusalem it meant this and more. The
knowledge and worship of God, by institutions of Divine
appointment, maintained only in that little corner of the
wide world, were linked on to the fortunes of the Jewish
state, and in the victory of Sennacherib would be involved
not merely political humiliation, but religious darkness.
When, then, his armies advanced across the continent again
and again, making of a city a heap, and of a fenced city a
ruin, and at last appeared before Jerusalem, when the blast
of the terrible men was as a storm against the wall, there
was natural dismay in every religious and patriotic soul.
It seemed as though a veil or covering, like that which was
spread over the holy things in the Jewish ritual, was being
spread more and more completely over all nations at each
step of the Assyrian monarch's advance, and in those hours
of darkness all true-hearted men in Jerusalem waited for
God. He had delivered them from Egyptian slavery; He had
given them the realm of David and Solomon. He who had done
so much for them would not desert them now. In His own way
He would rebuke this insolent enemy of his truth and His
people, and this passionate longing for His intervention
quickened the eye and welled the heart of Jerusalem when at
last it came. The destruction of Sennacherib's host was one
of those supreme moments in the history of a people which
can never be lived over again by posterity. The sense of
deliverance was proportioned to the agony which had
preceded it. To Isaiah and his contemporaries it seemed as
though a canopy of thick darkness was lifted from the face
of the world, as though the recollections of slaughter and
of death were entirely swallowed up in the absorbing sense
of deliverance, as though the tears of the city had been
wiped away and the rebuke of God's people was taken from
earth, and therefore from the heart of Israel there burst
forth a welcome proportioned to the anxious longing that
had preceded it, "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for
Him; He will save us."--_Liddon._
xxv. 10. _For in this mountain shall the hand of the Lord
rest._
172
+I. Of every enterprise we should ask, "Is it right?"+ If wickedness
be in "the mountain," God's protecting hand will not rest upon it. A
just cause creates a good conscience, and hence inspires strength. It
is only the just man who feels that God "teaches his hands to war and
his fingers to fight, so that a bow of steel is broken by his arms."
"The righteous is bold as a lion." The good man can patiently wait
and confidently expect God's blessing (James v. 7).
+II. Material force allied with injustice will eventually become weak
as straw, vile as a dung-heap.+ The strong places of Moab had no
inherent lastingness, because built in a godless spirit (Ps.
cxxvii. 1).
+III. Forts and castles, ironclads and armies, can never save an
unrighteous nation from decay.+ National selfishness, oppressive
enterprises, weaken the strongest defences, corrupt the richest
treasurers. Babylon became a marsh, Nineveh a forsaken mound, Tyre a
deserted rock. In the Colosseum at Rome where martyrs bled, the fox,
the bat, and the owl now make their home. The walls of Moab were
levelled with the dust. By justice only can peoples be strong. If God
be in the city, its walls will be lasting as the hills.--_William
Parkes._
DAYS OF DELIVERANCE.
xxvi. 1-2. _In that day shall this song be sung, &c._
There are days in the history of God's people when they specially
need His interposing power. This is their prayer (Ps. xxx. 10). This
their glad confession (Ps. xc. 17). As such seasons of direct
deliverance the natural expression of the heart is one of gladness.
If the poetic faculty be strong within them, as in the case of the
king of Israel, they sing in lyric splendour, as in Psalm xviii.
3. _In the infant days of the Primitive Church,_ meeting then in the
173
upper room in Jerusalem, when its two leaders, Peter and John, were
seized and confronted with "their rulers, and elders, and scribes,"
and sternly threatened "not to speak at all or teach in the name of
Jesus." That was a day of deliverance. Then was seen how gloriously
transformed were these two Galilean fishermen under the inspiration
of the Kingdom of Christ, how sublimely fit they were to lead the
forlorn hope of the Church through the breach of Judaism and
heathenism on to the conquest of the world. See Acts iv. 19, 20, 23,
24. How deeply and rapturously impressed was that little church with
the conviction that the power of Him who had made heaven and earth
was then resting on their own chiefs, and making them bold to speak
_"His name."_ They shook the very walls of the room with the volume
of their song: "We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for
walls and bulwarks."
4. Another day of deliverance came to the early Church, _when the cry
of the primitive martyrs was heard_ (Rev. vi. 9, 10). That "little
season" soon passed, and their cry was answered; rest came to the
martyred Church. No more holy men were thrown to the lions, no more
delicate women thrust into caldrons of boiling pitch; the sword slept
in its scabbard, and crucifixions were ended. Then the churches had
rest, and this hymn was joyously sung. Since those early centuries,
God's Church has passed through many a fiery furnace, and has come
out all the purer and all the stronger. And many a song of
deliverance has floated up to heaven.
PERFECT PEACE.
Our text points to the infallible remedy for the worst of all forms
of human ills, a burdened and disconsolate spirit--"perfect peace."
+I. The Author of this peace is none other than God Himself.+ The
mind of man is too active and capacious ever to find rest, unless it
be in its Maker. This is the testimony of experience as well as of
Scripture. Earthly honours, riches, friendships, leave the heart
devoid of enduring peace, because they can do nothing to dispel the
sense of guilt and the consequent apprehensions of the future which
174
ever and anon disturb those who possess them most abundantly. We
cannot have peace unless we have God for our portion. But how can
God, the righteous governor of the universe, be at peace with us
sinners? To this question a complete and glorious answer is found in
the Gospel, and there only. God Himself, at infinite cost, has opened
a way of peace by which we may return to Him. Peace is offered to all
who will receive it as His gift, through our Lord Jesus Christ; but
only from Him and thus can it be obtained.
+IV. We have to acknowledge that many who hope for salvation through
Christ are not possessed of "perfect peace."+ Many believers are "in
heaviness through manifold temptations," and their peace is more like
an uncertain brook than a perpetual river moving calmly into the
ocean. Why is this? 1. Sometimes, though rarely, because God has been
pleased to withdraw the blessed feeling of undisturbed tranquillity,
in order that He may produce a deeper sense of dependence on Him. In
such cases, peace will be reached again through humble submission to
the Divine will concerning us, and trust in the unchangeableness of
175
the Divine love. We must not give way to despondency. We must be on
the alert to hear God speaking comfort to us through His Word.
2. Sometimes the believer's peace is interrupted by a derangement of
the physical or mental system. Let us remember that while we are in
the flesh we are liable to such trials, and that our salvation does
not depend on our feelings, which are changeable as the clouds, but
on the Rock of Ages. 3. Sometimes we permit our attention to be
turned away from God and engrossed by our trials. It is with us as
with Peter (Matt. xiv. 30). But then, like him, let us cry to the
Lord, let us obey the exhortation of our text, and we shall find that
He can give us both deliverance and peace. 4. Sometimes, alas! we
forget that the faith to which peace is promised is a faith that
shows itself in "patient continuance in well-doing" (Rom. ii. 7;
James ii. 26). Let us not be surprised if, then, our peace departs.
Let us return unto the Lord, and beseech Him to heal our
backslidings. Restored to the paths of righteousness, we shall find
that they, and they alone, are "paths of peace."
176
+III. All true spiritual peace is supernatural in its origin.+ To
grant this deep and abiding peace is the prerogative of the Divine
Saviour. Friends may leave us houses, lands, gold, but only Christ
can give us peace (John xiv. 27). "My peace!" What is Christ's peace?
Not the peace of reconciliation, for with God He never was at
variance (Heb. iv. 15; 1 Pet. ii. 22). "My peace" could only mean
that mental peace which flows from perfect harmony with the Divine
will. Such peace can come to us only through the educational power of
Christ. The more we obey the Master, the more implicit will be our
submission to God, and the deeper our peace. Only then shall we know
"perfect peace." Such peace, like every Christian grace and holy
virtue, being beyond the reach of nature, is supernatural (James
i. 17). The child of God, calm amid a tempest of trouble, often
excites the wonder of the world. Such quietness of soul is not the
result of temperament or of training. It is God's work: "_Thou_ wilt
keep," &c.
II. The idea of "perfect peace," presented in the text, seems to most
men at the most a beautiful dream; in proportion to their experience
of life is their disbelief that it can be theirs. But it is declared
here that God bestows it on every man whose mind is stayed on Him.
177
triumph are given them, such as this chapter. But their experience,
taken as a whole, may be said to be a continuous verification of our
Saviour's declaration: "In the world ye have tribulation."
Notwithstanding, they may have "perfect peace." "In the world ye have
tribulation: in Me ye have peace." Not merely that the peace is to
succeed the tribulation; the two may co-exist. It is quite possible
for peace to dwell in the heart of the chief ruler of a nation waging
a terrible war;[2] or in the heart of the captain of a vessel
storm-driven; or in the heart of a merchant in the midst of a
commercial panic, because he knows that the struggle will for him end
in victory. So in the midst of all the conflicts of life, a Christian
may have "perfect peace."
IV. But is "perfect peace" the possession of all who have complied
with these conditions? No. Why? Because they have not yet learned to
stay their minds on God. They have faith, but it is yet in the germ,
and they have not yet been trained in the exercise (Matt. xiv. 31;
xvi. 8). Not upon God exclusively are their hopes set (Ps. xlii. 5);
it is but seldom that they do look up to Him, and hence their faith
is imperfect and intermittent. It remains in the power of their foes
to distress them; anxieties as to their temporal necessities, and
forebodings as to their external welfare, harass and weaken them.
(For other reasons, see preceding outlines.)
But there are those who have passed through and beyond these
elementary stages of Christian experience, and, steadily pursuing the
paths of righteousness, they have "perfect peace." Their
circumstances may be adverse and threatening, but they possess a
tranquillity of soul that is undisturbable (2 Cor. iv. 8-10); nay, is
even triumphant (Rom. v. 3; Acts xvi. 25; Hab. iii. 17-19).
V. In this "perfect peace" these rare souls rest, because they are
kept in it, by God Himself: "_Thou_ wilt keep," &c.
178
faithfulness and mercy, and out of it their souls are fed and
sustained when a season of famine and danger has befallen them. Then
they know that He who has delivered will deliver, and they wait upon
Him with calm, joyful expectation. (2.) To these souls the records of
God's deliverances of His people in ancient days become prophetic of
deliverances He will still work for His people right on to the end of
time. By His Spirit He works in them an immovable, soul-inspiring
confidence in His own unchangeableness. To them He is "the living
God," acting to-day precisely as He did in the days of old. (3.) But,
above all, He produces in their souls, as the chief safeguard of
their tranquillity, a childlike confidence in His personal love for
them. There is nothing they are so sure of as that God loves them,
and being sure of this, all the rest follows as a matter of course.
They never forget what proof God has given of His love for them, and
hence they reason precisely as St. Paul did (Rom. viii. 31-39). This
priceless revelation He makes to many who are "babes" in this world's
wisdom (Matt. xi. 25), and to others also who know all that science
has to teach them of the vastness of the universe and of their own
relative insignificance.
VI. What then? 1. "Trust ye in the Lord for ever, for in the Lord
Jehovah is everlasting strength." There is more than "strength;" but
there _is_ the "strength to carry out His wise and loving purposes
towards His people." He can do more than pity. 2. Let us cultivate
the habit of trusting IN THE LORD, and of doing this in all the
vicissitudes of our lot, "for ever." 3. And that this habit may
become to us invariable and its exercise easy, let us accept with all
simplicity the revelation which He has been pleased to make of
Himself as our Father in heaven. Precisely in proportion as we do
this we shall stay our mind on Him, and we shall enter into that
"perfect peace" which He desires should be the inheritance of all His
children.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Can we turn aside and see what light this peace of God can
diffuse through the chamber of disease; how it can
tranquilise the bosom of the poor widow surrounded with her
helpless babes; what serenity it can shed around the
tottering steps of some aged saint; and how it can
irradiate the gloom even of the grave itself, and not feel
that it is rightly called "perfect?" True, it might often
be more folly possessed on earth, and it will be more fully
possessed in heaven. But if we remember what it has
179
actually done in ten thousand instances, when the dearest
friends have died, and property has taken wings and flown
away, and one pall of sadness has seemed to overspread the
entire world, we shall feel that it is impossible to give
it too high a name or attach to it too high a
value.--_Magie._
180
are righteous_--here called "the just." It is suggestive when God's
people are thus called by a name similar to His own. They share in
the same righteousness, although in different degrees. More is
intended than that they are in a justified state. That is implied.
They are justified by the grace of God through faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ. But the text refers to the righteousness which
assimilates them to the Divine nature. The grace of God produces a
new nature. Saul of Tarsus became a new man on his conversion. A
savage adopts the habits and forms the tastes of civilised Christian
life. It is a new nature. 1 John iv. 4: "Ye are of God." As children
partake the nature of their parents, His nature is in them, though
not yet perfected. Their sympathies are with Him. In so far as they
are unrighteous, they are inconsistent with their true selves. The
life of God in the regenerated soul is a principle ever tending
toward the perfect righteousness of the Divine nature from which it
comes.
2. _The conduct of the righteous God._ "Thou most upright dost weigh
the path of the just." At first sight like confusion of metaphor. It
means to ponder it. The heathen symbol of Divine righteousness is
that of justice holding the scales (Dan. v. 27). The conduct of the
righteous is weighed. God observes it; His honour is concerned in it.
He will eventually pronounce upon it (2 Cor. v. 10).
Examine, then:--1. Are you among the just? Have you experienced a
change of heart? 2. Are you pursuing the path of the just? This
applies to your actual dealing with God and with man. Consider how
far imperfection may be consistent with reality. Do not try how far
you may go safely. There comes a point at which a man must be
condemned, at which he must condemn himself. At that point he will
either repent or harden himself. Let us cultivate the highest measure
of practical uprightness.--_J. Rawlinson._
181
of our salvation than that furnished by Job (Job xxxv. 10). God has
always given His people songs in the night, and in the night-time of
affliction He has furnished them with songs of consolation and
confidence. Our text is a part of one of those songs. The Chaldean
power threatened God's people. They were instructed to cherish a firm
faith in God. Not a breath of despair was to reach the camp of the
enemy; rather they were taught a scornful defiance of that proud king
who had defied the armies of the living God (Isa. xxxvii. 22).
"In that day shall this song be sung." The connection may teach us
that it is wisdom to treasure up a source of consolation against the
day of adversity. It is in spring that we are to prepare for winter;
in the morning of life to prepare for old age. The oil must be ready
for the midnight hour. No good soldier will run for his armour "when
the enemy comes in like a flood."
The text suggests _the Christian's reasons for security and repose
under the various events of life._ These are--
+I. The perfect wisdom and rectitude which marks God's universal
government.+ "Thou most upright, dost weigh," &c. This world is not a
neglected province of the Divine Dominions. That impression of the
Divine supremacy which inspires the songs of seraphs quickens the joy
of frail humanity. While thrones, principalities, and powers exclaim
as with the voice of many waters, "Alleluia, for the Lord God
Omnipotent reigneth," the inhabitants of the earth roll back the
response, "The Lord reigneth: let the earth rejoice."
+II. The minute attention which God pays to the individual interests
of His people.+ This comes out whichever interpretation you put upon
the word here translated "weigh." It may mean, to weigh as in scales
or a balance (Ps. lviii. 2); but it may also mean, and does usually,
to make straight, or smooth, or level (Ps. lxxviii. 50, "He leveled a
path for his anger," [NAS], &c.) (_Barnes_). "He 'weighs' or
'ponders' (_s. w. a._ in Prov. iv. 26, v. 21) the path, with a view
to keeping it straight and level" (_Kay_). 1. The idea of "weighing"
implies careful impression. The balance is held with a careful hand,
and a keen eye is on both the scales. This is a source of comfort to
the just, and to them alone. 2. The same minute, condescending
observance is implied in the other interpretation. God will make a
plain, level way for His people to walk in. All obstacles to their
182
progress shall be removed. They never have any need to turn aside
from the well-constructed road of God's commandments into "crooked
ways" of man's devising (Ps. xvii. 3-5). They shall reach their
destination in the better world.--_Samuel Thodey._
+I. Observe what God's judgments are.+ They are simply the expression
of His thoughts. His final judgment is the declaration of His
thoughts of a man's character; His judgments here are also His
declaration of what He thinks of our conduct and ways. One special
thing for which psalmists and prophets adore Him is that men can see
that His judgments are true and righteous (Ps. xix. 9; cxix. 75, &c.)
Their tendency and aim is to teach men what righteousness is (ver. 9).
+II. The way of God's judgments is the way of His laws.+ The
calamities which men call "judgments" are generally the results of
infraction by them of the laws by which He governs the universe.
+III. The way of God's judgments prescribes our way of prayer and
expectation.+ We are to pray and expect, not that, while we continue
as we were, God will remove the judgment; but that He will help us to
understand it, and that He will dispose us to abandon the conduct
that has brought it upon us. In thus waiting upon God--with penitence
for our transgression, with prayer for light, and with sincere
resolve to amend--we may expect God to bless us; but this we may
expect only while we wait upon Him thus.--_Alexander Mackennal, B.S.:
Sermon on the Cattle-plague._
Those who wait for God in the way of His judgments are, 1. Those who
in prosperous and peaceful times endeavour to serve Him. 2. Those who
desire to learn from them the lessons they were designed to teach.
3. Those who honour God by submission and trust in the trying hour.
4. These, even in the midst of judgment, may confidently expect the
favour of God. A purpose of benevolence runs through even the stern
and "strange work" of justice; and God, even when He chastises, will
not utterly smite down the trusting heart.--_William Manning._
183
seek Thee early._
+I. They wait upon him.+ Wait in the most unpromising circumstances.
"Yea, in the way of Thy judgments have we waited for Thee." When all
is dark and threatening; when the promised mercy is long delayed and
all seems settling into gloom and desolation; when the dungeon has no
lamp and the night no star, even then does the Church wait for God
(chap. viii. 17). It is a genuine mark of grace to trust a
withdrawing God and never forego confidence in Him, but look for Him
as in the darkest night the shivering sentinel looks for the morning
star; as the husbandman amid the severest winter believes in the
returning spring. Such was the faith of Habakkuk (Hab. iii. 17-19).
So, like Aaron's rod, the Christian's hope will bloom in the midst of
barrenness. "Yea, in the way of Thy judgments have I waited for Thee."
+II. Their desires centre in Him.+ "The desire of our soul is to the
remembrance of Thy name." God's _name_ is a compendious expression
for the fulness of His perfections. God's people are concerned for
the honour of God's name whatever becomes of their own. Religion
consists much in holy desire. "Thy servants who desire to fear Thy
name." They desire to live in the fear of God, in His love and in His
service. Desire is love on the wing; delight is love at rest. David
combines both (Ps. xxxvii. 4). Making God our heart's delight, He
will not fail to give us our heart's desire. This desire, if genuine,
will never be satisfied without God. As well offer lumps of gold or
strains of music to one dying of thirst, as offer the world's best
gifts to that soul which truly thirsts for God and His righteousness
(Ps. lxxiii. 25). 1. _Where genuine, this desire is the fruit of
implanted grace._ It is an evidence of a renewed nature. The beating
of the pulse proves life. That which aspires to God has come from
heaven. If the iron, contrary to its nature, moves upward, it is a
sign that some magnetic force attracts it; and if the soul aspires to
God, that is a sign that the grace of God has visited that soul.
2. _Genuine desires after God are influential._ Real desires govern
our conduct (Prov. xxi. 25). It is useless to pretend that we thirst
for grace, if by devout prayer and holy resolve we do not let down
the bucket into the well.
+III. They seek Him diligently night and day.+ "With my soul have I
desired Thee in the night, yea, with my spirit within me will I seek
Thee early." Our Lord gives it as the distinctive mark of God's elect
that they cry night and day to Him. This habit of prayer prompting to
duty, tests the sincerity of our desires, &c.--_Samuel Thodey._
184
xxvi. 9. _With my soul I desired thee in the night._
185
it has come already. Some of you are pardoned and do not know it. Do
not expect miracles and visions. (3.) Will God grant my desire at
last? Verily. His refusal would dishonour His word. You would be the
first that ever perished desiring, praying, trusting in
Jesus.--_C. H. Spurgeon, New Park Street Pulpit,_ 1859, p. 237.
186
should give heed._ Prominent among them is this, that "except the
Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."--_Isaac Milner,
D.D.: Sermons,_ vol. i. pp. 1-54.
II. WHY THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD DO NOT ALWAYS TEACH MEN RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Judgments that light upon others are frequently rendered useless.
1. By disbelief of His declarations. 2. By false views of His
character (H. E. I., 2180-2184, 2282). 3. By unscriptural views of
our own state and condition. 4. By a base inattention to the
operations of Providence. 5. By a stupid insensibility to our danger.
We tranquilly behold the lightning flashing at a distance, and
suppose that it will not hurt us, as though we were of a different
nature from those who are consumed by it (Zeph. iii. 6, 7).
6. Because, instead of being humbled and led to think of our sins, we
vent our grief only in vain regrets and useless lamentations. We
forget who is the Author of these judgments, and so, instead of
humbly saying with Job, "Shew me, wherefore Thou contendest with me,"
we waste our strength in profitless complaints of men and
things.--_Henry Kollock, D.D., Sermons,_ pp. 505-512.
187
THE USE AND ABUSE OF THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD.
II. _God's design in sending His judgments upon the earth is that the
inhabitants thereof should learn righteousness_--righteousness
towards Him, towards their neighbours, and towards themselves. This
is His design, and to comply with it is the indispensable duty of
those who He afflicts.[2] The natural tendency of these chastisements
is to remove the obstacles that ordinarily oppose themselves to our
conversion: indolence, thoughtlessness, abuse of God's patience, the
hope of long life.[3]
FOOTNOTES:
188
the world, shall not the people learn righteousness? Shall
the lion roar and the beasts of the field not tremble?
Shall God's hand lie heavily upon us, and we stand by, as
idle spectators, nothing at all minding what is done? Shall
our very next neighbour's house be on fire, and we look on
as men unconcerned in the danger? It cannot be, it must not
be. There is, without all doubt, the same combustible
stuff--the same, if not greater sins--lodged in our hearts,
and the same punishment hovering over our heads; it is,
therefore, high time to look about us.--_Donne,_ 1573-1631.
xxvi. 12. _Lord, Thou wilt ordain peace for us: for Thou
hast wrought all our work in us._
189
spirit of peace. 2. _We have preserved our national honour._ Our
victory has not been purchased by any alliance of which we have cause
to be ashamed. 3. _Peace does not find us, as it finds many nations,
with our houses desolated and our cities destroyed by fire._ 4. _It
was seasonable._ We had put forth our utmost strength. Had we not
succeeded at the moment we should have fallen to rise no more as a
nation of the first order. 5. _It may be considered an indication of
the Divine approbation._ On this subject we would not be
presumptuous, but it may at least be affirmed that the happy change
in our affairs, which has ultimately led to peace, followed, and, in
some instances, immediately followed, certain acts of national
reformation (_e.g.,_ the emancipation of the slaves) and
acknowledgement of God which, from the condescending assurance of His
Word, we know must have been acceptable to Him. 6. _It will increase
our means of promoting the kingdom of Christ in the world, and thus
establish our national prosperity by continuing to us the blessing of
God._
xxvi. 12. _Lord, Thou wilt ordain peace for us: for Thou
also hast wrought all our works in us._
Rather, _"for us."_ The Church acknowledges that all her deliverances
and successes have been accomplished for her; and on what God has
done for her in the past, she rightly bases her expectation as to
what God will do for her in the future. He who was able to deliver
His people from their bondage in Babylon, would secure peace for them
when He had restored them to their own land. But, then, of all the
works that God accomplishes _for_ His people, some of the most
important are precisely those which He accomplishes _in_ them. So we
may profitably meditate on our text as it stands:
190
not who has delivered himself, but who has been delivered; not a hero
who broke the chains by which he was bound, but a poor slave of sin
who was set free and uplifted to true manhood (Phil. ii. 13; Eph.
ii. 10); everything is ascribed to the Spirit--the life, the good
works, the comforts of the Christian (John iii. 5; Gal. v. 16, 22;
Acts ix. 31). 2. _As the operation is Divine, so is it internal in
its effects._ We should never overlook what God has done for us in
His kind and tender providence (Ps. xxiii. 6). But the greatest of
all God's works for us is redemption by the blood of the cross. This
was accomplished long ago (John xix. 30). Nothing can now be added to
it, but you are mistaken if you suppose that His work _for_ you is to
supersede His work _in_ you. If your sins are not subdued as well as
pardoned, you will never be able to serve and enjoy God. Unless you
have a meetness for heaven, as well as a title for it, you will never
be at home there. The salvation that is promised and accomplished is
internal (John iv. 14; Ezek. xi. 19, 20; Ps. li. 10). 3. _The
operation is manifold in its influence._ "_All_ our works." How much
needs to be done in man! Conscience is to be awakened, purified,
pacified; the understanding is to be enlightened; the judgment is to
be informed; the will is to be subdued; the affections to be
spiritualised; the world is to be dethroned in the heart, and holy
principles implanted there. There needs the continuing act of a
performing God from the hour of the first conviction of sin to the
resurrection of the body unto eternal life (Phil. i. 6). 4. _His
Divine work is acknowledged._ "Thou _hast_ wrought," &c. Much remains
to be done in us, but much has been accomplished in every believer,
and it should be acknowledged. Humility well becomes us, but
gratitude becomes us equally (Ps. lxvi. 16).
"Thou wilt . . . for Thou hast." The expectations of God's people are
based--1. On the experience of God's people in all generations (Ps.
xxii. 4). 2. On their own experience of His faithfulness and mercy
(Ps. cxvi. 1, 2).[2]--_William Jay: Sunday Evening Sermons,_ &c., pp.
306-312.
FOOTNOTES:
191
nearer eternity.--_Jay._
[2] When a friend has always been kind, we think it base and
unworthy not to suppose that he is ready to succour and
help. But here we have the advantage: Men may be weak and
unable to help, but God is almighty; men may change their
mind, but with Him is "no shadow of turning." Remember what
God has done, view it as a pledge, a beginning, an earnest
foretaste of what He will do. Has He not shown you the evil
of sin, the beauty of holiness, and the preciousness of a
Saviour? If He had a mind to destroy you, would He have
shown you such things as these? Nay, He will ordain
everything for your welfare.--_Jay._
xxvi. 12. _Thou also hast wrought all our works in us._
It is not all men who could speak these words to God; the wicked and
the worldly-minded could not use such language without blasphemy. It
is the godly, and they only, who can dare to use the language of our
text, and even they must do so with a certain limitation. Nothing
that is evil in any of God's people is in any way His work. It is
only their _good_ works of which it can be truly said, "God wrought
them;" and of these it may be said, God wrought not some only, but
_all_ of them.
II. THE FEELINGS WHICH GOD'S PEOPLE OUGHT TO ENTERTAIN WHEN THEY
REFLECT UPON IT. Is it true that God hath wrought all our works in
us? What a ground there is here, then,--1. For +humility.+ Surely
"boasting is excluded." Pride is an absurdity (1 Cor. iv. 7; xv. 10.)
2. For +thankfulness.+ Solomon was full of wonder and amazement that
192
God should condescend to come and dwell within his costly temple.
Should not the Lord's people be still more gratefully amazed that He
should make a temple of their hearts? 3. For +encouragement+ (Phil.
i. 6). Let the believer look at the very construction of our text,
let him read it in connection with the words which go before, and he
will see what a comfortable argument is drawn from it: "Lord, Thou
_wilt_ ordain peace for us, _for_ Thou also hast wrought all our
works in us." The presence of His grace within our bosoms is a token
of the favour which He means to show us. He who put oil into our lamp
and set it burning, and then said, "Let your light shine before men,
that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is
in heaven," will never omit to feed the celestial flame.--_A.
Roberts, M.A.: Plain Sermons, Second Series,_ vol. i., 21-30.
xxvi. 13, 14. _O Lord our God, other lords beside Thee have
had dominion over us, &c._
III. A SHOUT OF VICTORY (vers. 14). The struggle against sin may be
severe and long. Bad habits not easily overcome. But Divine help
gives victory to human endeavours. He who uttered the almost
despairing cry, "O wretched man that I am," &c., can now give the
victorious shout, "I thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ." There
are those who once served mammon, and bowed to ambition; who followed
the Moloch of revenge and hate; slaves to drunkenness and nameless
vices, who now through Divine grace can say of these bad habits,
"They are dead . . . Thou hast visited and destroyed them," &c.--_W.
Parkes._
193
Man is a responsible being. To say he is responsible to himself is to
say nothing more than that he claims to act according to his own
inclination. Responsibility has regard to another. Lordship from
without is exercised by every human soul. Good and evil--God and
Satan--contend for the dominion. Evil usurps the dominion until an
inward revolution occurs. Thus the Jewish people had cast off the
authority of Jehovah, and placed themselves under the dominion of
other gods. The captivity in Babylon converted them from this folly.
They then determined that thenceforward they would only "make mention
of," celebrate and honour, give the dominion to the Lord their God.
Here is a penitential confession and a good resolution.
II. A GOOD RESOLUTION. "By Thee only will we make mention of Thy
name." The confession of the ransomed Jews meant more than empty
words. They had seen their error; they intended a complete change, a
radical reformation. Idolatry was for ever renounced.
194
not only that he seeks forgiveness, but also--1. _Intends
reformation_--abandonment of all sin, no reservation of any sin, the
course of life completely altered. 2. _Supposes regeneration._ Man
can only see the outward change; but what does it represent?
Awakening to the danger, sight of the evil of sin. The disposition is
different; the heart is changed. Hence the will determines the other
way. 3. _Proceeds from God._ There is a work of the Holy Spirit in
conversion. We need His help to fulfil the resolution. "By Thee only."
PRAYER IN TROUBLE.
Every man knows what trouble is; what it is to lie under the
chastening hand of God. In the day of trouble, we feel our dependence
on external help. Some in adversity seek friends who they neglect in
prosperity. Happy is he who, when trouble comes, finds himself
surrounded by true friends. Acquire the art of keeping your friends.
But there are troubles to which human sympathy and help are
inadequate. Times when men's thoughts drift towards God. Trouble
reminds us of the unseen, the spiritual, the external. It quickens
the spiritual sense by casting the fierce light of eternity on the
things of time. Men visit God in trouble by pouring out to Him their
prayers.
Does this always continue when the trouble has departed? Is not this
often the history? The cloud breaks, the sun bursts out again, the
man forgets that the sun was ever hid. Ship in storm. Cries, prayers,
vows. Ship is saved. Prayers cease; revelry is resumed. How often on
the bed of sickness are prayers and promises uttered which are
forgotten with returning health. Pharaoh alarmed by the successive
plagues. Besought Moses to pray. Hardened his heart again. The
children of Israel repeatedly fell into idolatry. Visited with
judgments. Cried to the Lord. When punishment was withdrawn returned
to the sin. Conviction is not conversion; awakening not repentance.
If the heart remains unchanged, a man will only pray as long as he is
alarmed (H. E. I., 3877-3879).
195
prosperity towards destruction. Some obstruction. It was unwelcome.
It compelled examination. It revealed the yawning falls a little way
beyond. Just in time to return. Every human soul requires one such
grand interruption in its career. Grace of God employs various means
for its effectuation. Trouble is one (Hosea v. 15). The soul's deep
sin, danger, need, has been revealed. The cry has gone up to heaven.
It was the cry of true repentance and humble faith in the Crucified
One. Comes from the trouble a new man--a praying man (Manasseh,
2 Chron. xxxiii. 10-13. The prodigal son, Luke xv. 14-21).
NATIONAL REVIVAL.
196
from depression into power. It may be brought low, but if the
elements of rectitude lie within it, if public justice be a part of
its political creed, and respect for the rights of others its
unvarying practice, then, though apparently buried in the grave of
defeat and degradation, its resurrection shall come. God rules not
only amid the armies of heaven, but amongst the inhabitants of the
earth, and to every nation maintaining justice, mercy, and truth,
though brought ever so low, the voice of history proclaims, "Thy dead
men shall live!" The bodies of English martyrs to the Tudor period
perished. Under the Stuart dynasty the bones of those English
patriots who defied "crowned and mitred tyranny" were dug up and
dishonoured. That part of them corruptible and worthless died, but
the better part of them has experienced a resurrection. Their
principles live to-day. "Thy dead men shall live."--_Henry Cowles,
D.D._
FOOTNOTES:
I. THE PERSONS INVITED. "My people." This was addressed to the Jews,
who stood in a peculiar relation to God. It has now a wider range. It
may include--1. _Those who are His by profession._ This includes a
large portion of the people of this land. Many of these, however, are
197
out of Christ, and they are specially invited to repair to Him as
their complete and only refuge from the storms of conscience and the
righteous displeasure of a Holy God. 2. _Those who are His by
personal consecration._ Not only received into the visible Church by
an outward profession, but have become living members of that
mystical body of which Christ is the Head. In times of danger and
distress, when the judgments of God are in the earth, they are
invited to repair to Christ. He is a complete refuge from every storm.
CHAMBERS OF SAFETY.
198
security and defence in time of danger. Every perfection of the
Divine character, every office of Christ, every Divine promise is a
chamber of defence (Prov. xviii. 10).
RELIGIOUS RETIREMENT.
199
+IV. Retirement and meditation will open up a source of new and
better entertainment than you meet with in the world+ (Ps.
civ. 34).--_John Logan: Sermons,_ vol. ii. pp. 156-164.
The Church a vineyard: a spot set apart: weeds taken out; choice
trees planted; supplied with means; fruitful of "red wine," the best
(Prov. xxiii. 31).
II. GOD'S MINISTRY TO THE CHURCH. Not only does He guard it from
external assault, He ministers to its internal necessities. "I will
water it." God's influence upon His Church is--1. _Adapted to its
wants._ The vine needs moisture. 2. _It is a continued blessing._
"Every moment." 3. _It is followed by blessed results:_ Growth,
fragrance, beauty, fruitfulness.
FOOTNOTES:
A SOLEMN DISCLAIMER.
200
as adversaries. He would be ready to make peace with them again on
their humbling themselves before Him. The solemn disclaimer of our
text should be borne in mind by us when we study--
II. THE DOCTRINE OF THE ATONEMENT. Not a few earnest men becloud and
all but explain away this fundamental doctrine, because (they tell
us) they cannot endure the thought of sin being punished in the
person of the Sinless One. They do not like to hear of the Father's
"wrath" being averted and (as it is said) "appeased" by the death of
His Son; of God looking out (as it were) for a victim, and fastening
upon the One found guiltless as a substitute for the guilty mass! But
this mistaken representation arises from attributing to God a passion
which in men would be indignation and wrath. But what does our text
say? "_Fury_ is not in _Me._" We may not think of our heavenly Father
as an angry Being, furiously raging against those whom the devil has
proved too strong for, and not to be appeased till He found a victim
on which to wreak His vengeance! But no unwillingness on our part to
hear it can alter that which is written (2 Cor. v. 21; 1 Pet. iv. 18;
Isa. liii. 5, 6). If we study this great subject aright, we shall
find in the Atonement the result of the co-working of the calmest
(and therefore most inflexible) justice and the tenderest
love.--_T. W. Peile, D.D.: Sermons,_ pp. 101-112.
201
The text expresses the preference of God for forgiveness rather than
for punishment, and the conditions of that forgiveness; but, at the
same time, the utter overthrow of all who continue in opposition to
His will. It suggests--
202
TAKING HOLD OF GOD'S STRENGTH.
II. HOW MAY MAN TAKE HOLD OF GOD'S STRENGTH? 1. By _submission_ (Rom.
vi. 13; Ps. li. 10). As nothing is so reasonable, so nothing is so
wise as submission to God. 2. By _prayer._ Prayer is the hand of the
child stretching itself under that father's protecting power. Prayer
takes hold of God's strength. 3. By _obedience_ (1 Pet. i. 14). When
Saul of Tarsus, after asking, "Lord what wilt Thou have me to do?"
went straightway and did God's will, then there came to him a moral
power mightier than he had ever wielded before. 4. By _implicit trust
in God's mercy_.[2]
III. THE RESULT OF THUS TAKING HOLD OF GOD'S STRENGTH. The result is
that Divine strength is infused into our minds. We become "strong in
the Lord, and in the power of His might." Trust is the medium through
which God's power is transmitted to man's weakness (Heb. vi. 19). We
can only really know those whom we love and trust (Dan. xi. 32). The
most invincible and lasting institution in the world is the Church of
Christ, because composed of those who are "partakers of the Divine
nature," and whom God has made strong.--_William Parkes, F.R.G.S._
FOOTNOTES:
[2] "I think I can convey the meaning of this passage so that
every one may understand it, by what took place in my own
family within these few days. One of my children committed
a fault for which I thought it to be my duty to chastise
him. I called him to me, explained to him the evil of what
203
he had done, and told him how grieved I was that I must
punish him for it. He heard me in silence, then rushed into
my arms, and burst into tears. I could sooner have cut off
my arm than have then struck him for his fault; he had
taken hold of my strength--he had made peace with
me."--_Toller._
It did not often happen to ancient nations to rise into new vigour
after being conquered and removed. Ancient Assyria and Babylon fell,
and their influence faded. But it was otherwise with Israel. They had
flourished; abused their trust; were punished by being conquered and
removed. But they did not perish. From the Babylonian grave they
rose. Centuries longer they existed, until their crowning sin. No
further need for their national existence. It ceased. But their
separate identify as a race continued. The Jew is everywhere.
Everywhere he is a witness to the truth of the Bible. And the
_influence_ of the Jewish people continues. The influence of the
classic writers of Greece and Rome continues. Their study is
essential to a liberal education. But only the few enjoy that
advantage. The literature of the Jewish race was confined almost
entirely to their sacred books. But how wide its influence! Read by
the scholar and the peasant, &c. Lifts men's thoughts above the level
of this world, and presents a loftier ideal of human character than
any of the mere "thinkers" of ancient or modern times.
The text foretells the stability, the growth, and the diffusion of
the Church.
204
spiritual Israel. In the living tree in spring the bud breaks forth,
then the beautiful blossom--promise of the fruit. So in the Christian
life. Gradually it develops by a certain though irregular
progression. Nor will this promise of fruitfulness be falsified (Gal.
v. 22, 23; Rom. vi. 22; Ps. xcii. 13, 14; H. E. I., 2508-2516,
2538-2544). Multiply this by the number of living members in any
Church, and how much of spiritual goodness, and beauty will be in
that circle! Not only within it, but in the homes, among the
neighbours, over the whole sphere of their influence. Then multiply
this by all the Churches. What an amount of moral beauty thus in the
world!
III. ITS DIFFUSION. _"And fill the face of the world with fruit."_
This vision was always present to the prophet's eye. Suppose it
realised, and the whole world converted. Then the world will be
filled with goodness. But it is all in the spiritual succession from
Jacob. How much comes of little! So it has ever been; small
beginnings, gradual growth, great endings.
FOOTNOTES:
205
appears--1. _In the time when they overtake us._ The east wind
prevails with us in the early spring. So in our experience of life,
when all is full of fair promise, our hopes are blasted. A young and
tender faith is often sorely tested. We would push adversity into old
age, with youth as a course of uninterrupted joy; but at the most
unlikely periods the day of the east wind sweeps over us. 2. _In
their violence._ The wind of adversity seems to us cruel and
devastating. We speak of a reverse or bereavement as "a sad blow."
3. _In their continuance._ We could tolerate an occasional day of
east wind, but when it blows persistently for weeks, we begin to
grumble. Afflictions sometimes follow each other in rapid succession.
The night of weeping is long and dark, and it seems as if the morning
of joy would never break (H. E. I., 52, 53). 4. Because of _the
aspect in which God appears to us when we are under them._ He seems
to be contending, "debating" with us, to be opposed to us. This gives
the keenest poignancy to our griefs. How unworthy, often, is the view
we form of God's character in the day of the east wind, charging Him
with partiality and injustice. Of all ingredients that embitter the
cup of suffering, this is the most bitter, but it is an ingredient
which the sufferer puts in with his own hand. As in the time of east
winds weak and cheerless people fall into dull, moody fits, the
sighing breezes chiming in with the dull music of their own spirits,
so in the day of adversity the soul sometimes loses its sense of the
Divine Love.
206
2. When the east wind is blowing upon us, instead of murmuring let us
recall the mitigating circumstances of which I have reminded you, and
let us thank God that He loves us too much to leave us under the
power of iniquity (Heb. xii. 5-10; H. E. I., 162-165).--_William
Guthrie, M.A._
II. IN THE SEVEREST AFFLICTIONS WHEREWITH GOD VISITS HIS PEOPLE HIS
MERCY IS MANIFEST.
Manifest, 1. +In the fact that they befall them here and now.+ How
kind in Him, not to stand silently by, and leave them to go on
unchecked to ruin! Remember, the sinner has no claim upon the mercy
of God in any form. 2. +In the restraint with which they are measured
out.+[1] There is no passion or vindictiveness in God's dealings with
them that provoke Him to anger. Though His chastisements may seem to
burst upon the backslider like a hurricane of east wind, in reality
mercy controls and directs the storm. "In exact measure," &c.[2]
Because it is so exactly measured out by mercy, (1) _it always falls
short of the guilt of the sinner._ Did justice measure it out, so
that it should be commensurate with the guilt of the transgressor, it
207
would mean destruction. This is seen in the case of the enemies of
God. Persistent ungodliness is visited at length, not with
chastisement, but with judgment, _i.e.,_ utter ruin (note the picture
of the doom of Babylon in verses 10, 11). So that when God's erring
people have been chastened most severely, His prophets can put to
them Isaiah's question in verse 7. To it they can only return the
answer given in Ps. ciii. 10. (2) _It always falls short of the
transgressor's power of endurance_ (H. E. I., 180, 187). When it is
ended, he still lives--lives to bless the hand that smote him (Ps.
cxix. 71, 75, 67). 3. +In the motive that inspires them all.+ By them
God seeks, not the destruction of His erring people, but their
deliverance. Israel was held in the degrading bondage of idolatry;
the terrible calamites of the captivity were the strokes by which He
brake their fetters. When the discipline was over, they hated
idolatry in all its forms; all the altar-stones in which they had
delighted were "like lime-stones dashed in pieces," and the Ashérahs
and sun-images rose in their midst no more. It is the same motive
that inspires Him in all His afflictive dealings with His people
to-day (H. E. I., 56-59, 66-74). Therefore, if He is visiting us with
afflictions,--1. Let us not be rebellious, but submissive (H. E. I.,
158). 2. Let us be moved to penitential self-examination (H. E. I.,
145-147). 3. Let us give heartfelt thanks to God because He is
resolved to make us like Himself (Heb. xii. 10; H. E. I., 162-165).
FOOTNOTES:
208
Their conduct, and the Divine dealing with them, finds its parallel
in the history of the modern Church. The parallel holds--
The spiritual Jacob sins. Saintly individuals, here and there, whose
conduct is an honour to the gospel; but comparatively limited number.
Many who in youth felt strongly have seriously declined from the
warmth of their first love. Instead of keeping themselves from the
world, they are under its influence; like imperfect swimmers, who get
within the power of a wave and find they have neither strength nor
skill to cope with it. They listen to the sentiments of the world on
matters of religion and morality. By little and little they conform.
Like Samson, when shorn of his locks, they become weak as other men.
From contentment with imperfection they become reconciled to positive
sin. Sometimes they even exceed their teachers. Christian professors
who have declined into sinful ways often become worse than those from
whom they have taken their lesson.
And does not God hate sin in them as He hates it in others? A man's
standing in Christ is nothing, if he is living in wilful sin. It
deadens his conscience, interrupts his communion with God, exposes
him to the peril of final apostasy and perdition. Read the former as
well as the latter part of 1 John i. 7. (H. E. I., 4563-4570.)
2. _Punitive._ God punished Jacob for his sin; but He did not cast
him off. His disapprobation of sin had been shown in words; now it
must be shown by punishment (Hos. xii. 2). The sufferings of God's
people are sometimes trials of faith. But they are often punishments.
When a parent inflicts punishment, does he mean that he has disowned
his child? Does it not spring from and prove the relation between
them? God punishes as a father: and because He is a father. But this
is different from allowing the penal consequences of sin to fall
fully on them. That would be disownment, perdition. He fulfils His
word (Ps. lxxxix. 30-37. H. E. I., 56-59, 66-70).
3. _Corrective._ "Purged; and this is all the fruit, to take away his
sin." No man's suffering can atone for his sin. That comes another
way. The Divine One has atoned. Here repentance, reformation is
contemplated. As when the husbandman prosecutes his labours he aims
to produce the fruit, so God's design in His people's troubles is to
take away their sin. A rough method; but necessary. The wild storm
damages but purifies. The vine-dresser cuts off branches that the
209
tree may bear more fruit. The sharp frosts of affliction kill the
weeds of sin. The medicine is distasteful, but it attacks and
dislodges the disease.
210
xxvii. 13. _And it shall come to pass in that day that the
great trumpet, &c._
211
the hill on which it was built sloped down to rich valleys, covered
with beautiful flowers and fruit-bearing trees. "Glorious beauty."
"Fat valleys." No wonder the people were proud of it. When this
prophecy was written, it was at the height of its pride. But it was
doomed. The glorious beauty was a fading flower. The crown of pride
was to be trodden under feet. Samaria was a delicious morsel for the
invader, plucked and eaten as soon as seen. Shalmanezer, with the
Assyrian host, invaded, overcame, carried the people away, never to
return. Unlike Judah in this respect. An unsolved problem to this
day, where are the ten tribes? do they still exist, or are they
entirely extinct?
212
his own life by a single stroke rushes into the presence of his Judge
uncalled, must not the man who by negligence, folly, or vice,
shortens his life answer for it in the same way? But the drunkard
does this by being overcome with wine.
II. ITS PENALTY. There was a worm at the root of the glorious beauty,
and fruitfulness, and pride of Ephraim; and therefore it was a fading
flower. The worm was their sinfulness. The drunkard may say that he
is prosperous to-day; but the worm is at the root.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] See pages 116 (THE MISERIES OF THE DRUNKARD) and 127 (DRINK
AND ITS WOES).
xxviii. 5, 6. _In that day shall the_ LORD _of Hosts be for
you a crown, &c._
213
overswept by the desolating march of the Assyrian invader; that gaudy
splendour, the boast of Ephraim's drunkards, is as short-lived as the
wreaths which the revellers bind around their brows. The worm of
intemperance is gnawing at the root of "the fading flower," and
overhead the storm is gathering that will blight its beauty. Turn now
to the other side of the central figure, where the kingdom of Judah
is introduced (ver. 7). Jerusalem as well as Samaria has her troops
of reckless inebriates and her scenes of disgusting intoxication;
though her punishment is not so near as that of the northern kingdom,
here, too, are seen the marks of sure decline. On both sides, then,
the prophet's picture is gloomy and portentous--the earth a scene of
drunken revelry, and the black sky streaked with the lightnings of
Divine wrath. But out of this sombre background of sottish
intemperance and overhanging judgment, of falling crowns and fading
wreaths, rises the luminous figure of our text. "In that day" of
vanishing glory "shall the Lord of Hosts," &c. In the fulness of its
wealth this promise belongs to us; the Lord of Hosts has become to us
"a crown of glory."
I. THE BELIEVER'S DIGNITY. Let us not tone down the grandeur of the
promise. Christ is the crown with which the believer is invested. He
is an heir of God, a partaker of the Divine nature. Let us see what
is implied in this representation, bearing in mind the crown to which
it stands in contrast. 1. It is a crown of _honour without
insecurity._ Man is like a discrowned and exiled king (Lam. v. 16).
But God has taken means to restore him his lost dignity (1 Cor.
i. 30). The crown of original righteousness which sin has torn from
our brows and trampled in the dust has been replaced by the
righteousness of Christ. How complete and glorious is His work in our
behalf, to what dignity does He raise us! This crown cannot be placed
on our head without inspiring us with a sense of honour, a feeling of
recovered power, of joy and hope and security. There may be a crowned
head without a kingly heart. A young prince may mount the throne
incapable of discharging its duties, or, perhaps, trembling lest his
new dignity should make him a mark for the bullet of the assassin;
but the Christian's honour cometh from God, and, along with the
restored kingship, kingly qualities are imparted, so that no man can
take his crown. 2. This is a crown in which we may _boast without
pride._ Samaria was a crown of pride to the Ephraimites, and because
they gloried in it, it was soon to be overturned. But while this
crown of carnal confidence was thus to be swept away, God becomes to
His people a more glorious crown in which they might boast without
pride. When anything short of God is made our confidence it fosters
vainglory, but with God as our crown all self-sufficiency is
excluded. 3. It is a crown of _joy without degradation._ As it does
not foster pride, so neither does it allow its wearer to descend to
low indulgence. Reference is probably made to the wreath of flowers
worn by drunken revellers on festive occasions. Under the plea of
festive mirth they wallowed in the mire of sensuality. How soon their
garlands would fall in disorder _from_ their heads, or fall _with_
their heads as they lay in senseless intoxication. The believer's
"diadem of beauty" points to purity and self-control (Ps. iv. 7).
4. It is an _unfading_ crown. This point in the contrast is equally
obvious. And is not "the fading flower" an emblem of all our earthly
joys?
214
when sweetest."
This world's fairest chaplets will soon wither on our brows; its
honours, possessions, and hopes are evanescent; but the Lord will be
our everlasting crown, our God will be our eternal glory (H. E. I.,
4975-4989).
Such, then, are the contents of this precious promise. Oh, that we
were all invested with this crown of holiness, dignity, and beauty.
How many are content with the gilded coronets and fading chaplets of
the world. You remember the scene in the "Pilgrim's Progress," part
ii., which has been made the subject of a painting by Sir Noel
Paton--the man raking straw while one held a glittering crown over
his head. Make Christ your boast. The crown of pride shall be hurled
to the ground, the garlanded revellers shall sink in their own
corruption, the honours which men so eagerly seek are as a fading
flower, but the crown shall sparkle for ever on the believer's head
(Dan. xii. 3; Ps. xc. 17).--_William Guthrie, M.A._
God has said He would discrown Ephraim, remove his beauty, and strain
his pride. This was done when Samaria was overthrown by the
Assyrians. "In that day" He would do to the "residue of His
people"--apparently the kingdom of Judah--what is said in our present
text. It was done in the reign of Hezekiah, when the true worship was
re-established, reformation effected, and the nation defended against
its enemies.
215
I. THE PERSONS INTERESTED.
"The residue of His people: him that sitteth in judgment: and them
that turn the battle to the gate." All classes. Brave defenders;
governors and administrators of justice, and the great mass of the
people. Hence we observe that the blessing of the Gospel is needed by
and suited to every class and every man. If there be a man anywhere
who does not need it, it is either because--(1), he has no soul to
save; or (2), he has not sinned; or (3), he is sufficient in himself
to remove sin and its consequences from himself. But none of these
can be said of any man.
"In that day." Christ came "in the fulness of time." There are
reasons and circumstances specially favourable to the advancement of
the kingdom of Christ. There is a time in the purpose of Jehovah when
all nations shall walk in the light. We may mark the circumstances
which are usually indicative of the further spread of the Gospel.
1. When there is a time of special revival, reformation, and
earnestness in the Church. As in time of Hezekiah. 2. When God stirs
up His people to exert themselves for the world's salvation, it is a
sign that the world's salvation is coming on apace. "When God enters
the chamber, and awakens His children, and bids them rise, it is a
sign that the morning has come." 3. When the church longs, waits,
prays for the success of the work, the time is likely to have come.
"As soon as Zion travailed she brought forth her children." Let the
216
Church of Christ really desire, believe in, pray for the world's
conversion, and God will open the windows of heaven and pour down the
blessing. Have you been sufficiently interested in the world's
salvation? As individuals? Are we sufficiently interested in our
own?--_J. Rawlinson._
217
xxviii. 10. _Here a little and there a little._
+I. The processes of nature.+--Mighty and sudden changes are not the
rule, but gradual and prepared ones. The seasons, the months, day
into night, night into day--how gradual and imperceptible the
transitions. The germination of seed, &c. +II. The formation of
character.+--Little by little every man's character is _formed_
(H. E. I., 709-711, 1836-1851) or _spoiled_ (H. E. I., 4521-4523,
4720-4725). All the steps, successively, that lead either to heaven
or hell are small, one by one, except in great crimes, and even then
there has been a gradual preparation for them (H. E. I., 428, 429).
So conversion, that great change of the soul, is prepared for
imperceptibly (H. E. I., 1462). From minute and commonplace thoughts,
words, actions, results character for eternity! +III. Christian
service.+--Called not to acts of heroism, but to a faithful discharge
of commonplace duties (H. E. I., 4149). +IV. Christian work.+--It is
by little and little that, in such a world as this, we must do the
greater part of the good that we ever accomplish (H. E. I., 1725).
+V. The training of children.+--Heavenly habits are to be formed in
them by the influence upon them of daily, familiar, minute, but
ever-recurring examples set before them (H. E. I., 777-779, 790,
802). +VI. Preparation for heaven.+--Try to gain a little for God, a
little for heaven, a little more of grace _every_ day. Do this in
_little_ things and you will accomplish _great_ things. Here a little
and there a little will carry you on from step to step, from grace to
glory (H. E. I., 2512, 2537).--_G. B. Cheever, D.D.: American
National Preacher,_ xxvi. 145-152.
218
of security, that of a foundation. Our Saviour expressly appropriates
to Himself (Psalm cxviii. 22). The same architectural idea appears in
Eph. ii. 20; 1 Pet. ii. 4-8.
+I. The grand object which God proposed to Himself in all His
dispensations to man,+ viz., the laying of a foundation in which the
hope of a repenting sinner might rest, with regard to God and
Eternity. We trace this object, 1. In the primal promise (Gen.
iii. 15). 2. In the mysterious rite of sacrifice Divinely appointed
from the beginning to prefigure "the Lamb of God who taketh away the
sins of the world." 3. In the whole system of the Mosaic law, "The
schoolmaster to bring us to Christ." 4. More and more distinctly
announced in the Psalms and Prophecies. The foundation proclaimed by
Jehovah in the text is the chief end of all He has done and revealed
to mankind; the central point in which all the lines of His
providence and His word meet and terminate. Nature supplies the
scene, providence the scaffolding, revelation the plan, and that
mighty spiritual edifice of which this is the foundation.
+II. This foundation was needed.+ None will dispute this point. So
sensible are men that they need a foundation for hope towards God,
that every one is disposed to lay his own. Every one feels that
without some restitution made to a holy God sin cannot be pardoned
nor the sinner saved. The question is, How shall a proper foundation
be laid? where shall an adequate restitution be found? The most
important question in the universe to be answered and at the same
time the most difficult! (1 Sam. ii. 25). Only three kinds of
restitution on the part of man are imaginable--penitence, good works,
voluntary sufferings; but none of these, nor all put together, can be
deemed satisfactory in the case before us. 1. _Penitence_ is no
foundation of the soul before God; the most sorrowful remembrance of
sin cannot repair it (H. E. I., 4225-4228). 2. Neither are _good
works,_ to which the same insufficiency attaches; they are always
required, and therefore can never possess a superfluity or redundancy
of merit (H. E. I., 375, 1950). And this applies to the best works;
but what are ours in the sight of God? 3. The only remaining kind of
restitution is by _voluntary sufferings:_ this, by its very
definition, is absurd and vain, for if any sufferings are required
they become part of our duty; but to invent penances of our own is no
part of our duty, and must be contradictory rather than satisfactory
to the Divine law. Penitence, good works, voluntary sufferings, may
be methods of procuring for us the priestly absolution of a poor
sinful man like ourselves; but they will not secure for us the Divine
acceptance.
219
represented--1. As _"a tried stone:"_ a foundation which has resisted
the strongest attempts to shake it,--that has stood the trial of
unnumbered enemies and friends. It has been proved in the fiery trial
of Divine justice, and the sins of the whole world have tried its
strength to sustain an overwhelming weight. The storms of persecution
have raged against it in vain, still it stands uninjured (Heb.
xiii. 8)! In every respect "a tried stone;" tried by God, by Satan,
by man; tried in life, in death, in eternity; tried by all the saints
in all their trials; and never tried in vain! 2. As _"a
corner-stone."_ The corner-stone unites both sides of an edifice; and
St. Paul represents Christ as Him in whom the whole building, fitly
compacted, rises a spiritual habitation of God (Eph. ii. 19-22).
3. As _"precious;"_ precious in respect to the Saviour's Person as
the only begotten Son of God; in respect to His sacrifice; a
foundation composed not of corruptible things (1 Peter i. 18, 19).
4. As _"a sure foundation:"_ not an imaginary one like every other,
but one real and substantial! In the Hebrew the word is reduplicated
for the greater emphasis, "A foundation, a foundation!" Not a
transitory but an eternal one. We are dying men; we sojourn in a
world of vanity and death; what we want is a "sure foundation."
Behold in Christ this grand desideratum!
+V. The happiness of him who rests on this foundation.+ "He that
believeth shall not make haste;" he shall not be thrown into
disquietude and agitation of spirit. Never has the strength of this
foundation been so well appreciated as when it was most tried, most
needed. When our flesh and our heart fail, then is the time to find
in God the rock of our heart, in Christ the foundation of our soul!
+III. The safety and blessedness of all those who depend upon this
foundation.+--_J. Sherman: British Pulpit,_ ii. 185-193.
220
Whatever subordinate reference there may be in these words to the
Jews, the principle reference is to the Messiah. For this view we
have apostolic authority. St. Paul says: "As it is written." Where?
In our text. "Whosoever believeth in Him shall not be ashamed." And
St. Peter quotes from Isaiah the same text.
+I. The Emblem of the Lord Jesus.+ "A stone." Whether we consider Him
"a stone" for solidity, or for strength, or for duration, He is all
these; for whatever changes may take place among men, with Him "there
is no variableness nor shadow of turning." Peter calls Him--1. A
"living stone," meaning that He has life in Himself, that He procures
and dispenses it to others. So Paul (Col. iii. 4). 2. He is a _tried
stone._ Everything in regard to Him was tried in the days of His
flesh: His wisdom, His meekness, His love. 3. He is a _precious
stone._ Precious to God the Father, to angels, to Christians (1 Pet.
ii. 7). 4. A precious _corner-stone._ The corner-stone stands to
unite. He unites in His person deity and manhood. We see in Him
united the Old and New Testament dispensations. He unites Jews and
Gentiles (Eph. ii. 14).
+II. His destination.+ "Behold I lay in Zion," &c. 1. _Who lays this
foundation?_ GOD. 2. _Where does He lay this foundation?_ "In
_Zion._" Jesus was a Jew, of the family of David. To the woman at the
well He said, "Salvation is of the Jews." See Ps. cx. 2; and Isa.
ii. 2, 3, xxv. 6.
+III. How well He answers the purpose and end.+ "A sure foundation."
He is a sure foundation for all. Myriads have trusted in Him, and to
the whole world it may be said (Isa. xxvi. 4).
+IV. The blessedness of those who make use of it.+ "He that believeth
shall not make haste." This declaration is not opposed to
_diligence;_ now, for "the King's business requireth haste." No (Ps.
cxix. 60). But--1. To _impatience_ (see chap. v. 19). "Blessed are
they that _wait_ on Him." 2. To _confusion._ Terror will overwhelm
the godless (Rev. i. 7). But believers (1 John ii. 28).
221
Is there any reason why the passage might not be understood literally
as referring to Jerusalem? Is there not a very appropriate sense in
which it was true that the foundation on which the Church rests was
laid in Jerusalem? Was it not there that the Son of God offered up
Himself as a sacrifice, and made atonement for man? Was it not there
that the Holy Spirit descended and gave effect to the finished work
of redemption? Was it not there the gospel was first preached by the
apostles? And was not all this in accordance with the
pre-arrangements of God's plan? As Zechariah's fountain was to be
opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and as
Ezekiel's waters were to flow forth from the temple, so Isaiah's
foundation-stone was laid in Jerusalem. 3. The _building_ to be
reared on this stone was to be composed of Christian men of all ages
and all nations. They are being collected now; they will all as
lively stones by gathered in, fitly framed together, and built upon
the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself
being the chief corner-stone.
+III. The import of the promise annexed.+[2] 1. Shall not make haste,
or be in haste. 2. Shall not be put to shame (Rom. ix. 33, x. 11, &c.)
222
as have made trial of it in their times of need--the sinner, burdened
with a sense of guilt, and sinking in despair; the believer,
rejoicing in hope, and looking forward to heaven as his eternal home;
the dying Christian, as he closes his eyes on this world, in joyful
hope of another and a better; the redeemed in glory, as they cast
their crowns at His feet. Ask them what they think of Christ. 4. As
_a corner-stone._ The principal weight of an edifice rests on the
corners; and hence, in building, the largest and firmest blocks are
selected and placed there as best adapted to unite and support the
whole structure. This is the idea intended to be expressed when
Christ is spoken of as a corner-stone. It is He who, by His truth,
His grace, and His spirit, converts and sustains the whole living
temple (Eph. ii. 20-22). 5. As summing up the whole--_a sure
foundation._ Hence it is said, "He that believeth shall not make
haste."[4] The specific idea is that of a man on whose house the
tempest beats, and who apprehends that the foundation is insecure, or
feels it to be giving way beneath him, and therefore makes haste to
flee from his dwelling to seek a more safe position. The foundation
laid in Zion is so firm and secure that if a man trusts himself on
it, he shall have no cause of alarm, however the storms may beat, and
the waves dash and foam around him. Amid the wreck of matter and the
crash of dissolving worlds, he shall not be confounded, but shall
come forth at last unharmed and victorious over all, and find in his
Judge a friend, and in the kingdom of His Father and God an
everlasting home.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] _"He that buildeth shall not make haste."_ The apostles
Paul and Peter, in citing this passage, quote from the
Septuagint, and accordingly they render it _"he that
believeth shall not be ashamed"_ (Rom. ix. 33), or
"confounded" (1 Pet. ii. 6). The Hebrew word properly
signified "to make haste," and hence, according to one
lexicographer, "to hurry hither and thither as persons in
confusion." The apparent discrepancy between the text as
given by Isaiah in the Old Testament and as quoted by the
apostles in the New vanishes at once when we consider the
nature of the future employed. Conceive the situation of a
man who has "built his house upon the sand." The rains
descend, the floods beat upon that house, the foundations
begin to give way, the house totters to its fall, and the
frightened inmate, terrified and bewildered, "makes haste"
to escape to a place of safety. Another has built his house
upon the rock. Upon this also the rains descend and the
floods beat, but its firm foundations remain unmoved
because it is founded upon a rock, and its happy inmate, so
far from being obliged to "make haste" to escape, in
conscious security may smile at the storm. "He that
believeth shall not make haste"--"shall not be
confounded"--"shall not be ashamed" of his hope.--_John
223
Dowling, D.D._
[3] If you had a bridge to cross which had stood for centuries
and over which thousands of people had passed every day
with entire safety, you would feel no hesitation in making
that of it yourself. So is Christ set before you--a
_tested_ foundation of hope.--_Hawes._
This phrase may be more literally rendered "a stone for proof," and
so rendered admits of two interpretations. The commonly received
opinion, that it means a stone which has been tried and found
sufficient is probably correct, and is more in harmony with the
context; but Calvin understands by it a stone which was to be the
test or standard of comparison for others. However this may be, we
have inspired authority for saying that the stone is no other than
our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Pet. ii. 6); and we may profitably consider
Him in these two aspects, as our Trust and our Test.
A TESTED SAVIOUR.
224
xxviii. 16. _A tried stone._
FALSE REFUGES.
xxviii. 17. _And the hail shall sweep away the refuge of
lies._
225
&c. When the whole body is diseased, the amputation of one member is
fruitless. 2. _A general regard to Christian morality,_ to the
outward acts of obedience, and the decencies of society. 3. _An
outward profession of religion._ Punctual regard to public worship, a
proper regard to ordinances, a name among the people of God. 4. _A
prominent and public sectarian spirit._ Rigid adherence to party,
sect, and creed; violent anathematising all others; great ardour in
the public events of the Church to which they belong. "Come, see my
zeal," &c. 5. _Distinguished generosity._ Liberality to the poor,
works of beneficence, co-operation with the compassionate and
benevolent. All these things are good in their legitimate sphere and
extent, but they are all often only refuges of lies; they may engage
a man's anxious attention, while the root of the matter has yet no
place in his heart (1 Cor. xiii. 1-3; Matt. vii. 22, 23). 6. A still
more commonly frequent refuge of lies: _a general reliance on the
mercy of God._ A kind of self-confident persuasion that God is good,
that He will not punish, an indefinite resting on His clemency,
forgetting His righteousness, purity, truth, &c.
+III. Such refuges of lies will be ultimately swept away.+ They will
be so--1. _In a dying hour._ Then the mental vision often becomes
peculiarly acute, the moral sense keen and distinct, and the honesty
of the spirit throws off the tinsel mask, which is now manifestly
worse than useless. How poor and worthless is self-righteousness, in
all its possible extent, to a spirit just stepping into the presence
of the holy God. A queen of England, although professing to be
"Defender of the Faith," and having bishops at her control, felt
this, and died in circumstances of unutterable alarm. 2. _In the
morning of the resurrection._ Then all classes and distinctions will
be reduced to two. None but the righteous will have a part in the
first resurrection. Others will rise with shame, confusion, and
horror to everlasting contempt. 3. _In the decisions_ _of the
judgment._ God will judge all men in righteousness. The wicked and
the righteous will be separated (Matt. xxv. 32, 33); no pretence,
disguise, plea, stratagem, importunity, or effort, will avail. All
refuges of lies will be swept away.
Of all the striking images made use of in this chapter, none was so
likely to catch the ear, and impress itself on the memory, and become
a seed of useful reflection, as that embodied in this proverbial
saying. Epigrams have done much to guide popular movements. Lord
Bacon speaks of them as "the edge-tools which cut and penetrate the
knots of business and affairs." The adage before us is homely, but
forcible and expressive. To a fastidious taste and a false refinement
226
it may appear undignified; but where one has to deal with reckless
folly and obstinacy, he selects what best serves his purpose of
exposing it. Lifted out of the occasions which gave the birth, these
pithy and sententious sayings admit of manifold applications. They
refute error, and make truth visible.
227
sooth you in pain; and when laid down on your last bed, rejoicing in
the fulness and all-sufficiency of His grace, you will fall asleep in
Him. A common proverb runs, "He has made his bed, and now he must lie
on it," sometimes harshly used, yet expressing a solemn truth (Gal.
vi. 7; Isa. l. 11).--_William Guthrie, M.A._
Point out the inadequacy of some religious ideas that are in vogue.
The religion of the Bible supplies the need of man in all these
respects. It reveals the Divine Being and character. It tells of a
Father on whom, in his helplessness, man may call. It guides his
conscience so that it may fitly guide _him._ It acquaints us with the
nature of the life to come.
228
remit it.
This bed is too short. This covering too narrow. The religion for a
fallen creature must deal seriously with the state of sin, guilt,
condemnation. The question meets you at the outset. If every farthing
of your present income is absolutely required to meet your barest
necessities, how can you out of it pay back debts? Does not the law
require a perfect obedience? Do you at present render more than it
requires? Do you ever, with your best endeavour, come up to the law?
IRRELIGIOUS MOCKERY.
229
I. THE OBJECTS BY WHICH IT IS EXCITED.
2. To those who indulge in it. They lose their own respect for
religion, if they had any, by associating it with the ideas of a low
and ludicrous nature. They lose the elevating mental influence of
having their minds in earnest contact with its grand truths. They
lose the spiritual improvement which might have been the result of
such contact.
Follow the mocking soul to the bar of God where it must answer for
its mockeries, and for all the state of mind which rendered it
possible to mock. +There will be no mockery in hell!+
Do not brave these bands. Young men, do not sit in the seat of the
scorner. Do not be among the mockers. Let the mocker hear the solemn
230
warning of the text, and repent and seek mercy through the cross, and
relinquish his folly.--_J. Rawlinson._
xxviii. 24, 25. _Doth the ploughman plough all day to sow?
&c._[1]
231
consent to it, make the Gospel known. A method exactly adopted to the
nature of the case. According to the constitution of human nature,
the Gospel thus approaches it for the purpose of gaining the
understanding, the heart, and the will. Bear in mind the power of
sympathy between human beings. He who has received a truth desires to
impart it. He who has experienced the salvation pities those who need
it as he did. He who speaks from his own experience speaks with
tenderness, and earnestness, and influence. The sick heed the
recommendation of a physician by those whom he has cured. On this
principle of adaptation the Lord Jesus instituted the living ministry
of apostles, evangelists, pastors, parents, all Christians. He
inspired some to put on permanent record the truth as He revealed it,
as a standard of appeal. They are to study it. They are to use the
same principle of adaptation. There is youth, age, different measure
of instruction, different classes, spheres, circumstances.
Are you in sympathy with God's end? In yourselves? In the world? Then
adapt yourselves to its realisation.--_J. Rawlinson._
+I. We must all go through some kind of threshing process.+ The fact
that you are devoting your life to honourable and noble purposes will
not win you any escape. Wilberforce, the Christian Emancipator, was
in his day derisively called "Doctor Cantwell." Thomas Babington
Macaulay, the advocate of all that was good long before he became the
most conspicuous historian of his day, was caricatured in one of the
_Quarterly Reviews_ as "Bubble-tongued Macaulay." Norman McLeod, the
great friend of the Scotch poor, was industriously maligned in all
quarters. As the small wits of London took after John Wesley, the
father of Methodism. If such men could not escape the maligning of
the world, neither can you expect to get rid of the sharp, keen
stroke of the tribulum. All who will live godly in Christ Jesus must
suffer persecution. +II. It is not compliment to us if we escape
great trial.+ There are men who suppose they are the Lord's
favourites, simply because their barns are full, and their bank
account is flush, and there are no funerals in the house. It may be
because they are fitches and cummin, while down at the end of the
lane, the poor widow may be the Lord's corn. You are little pounded,
because you are little worth, and she bruised and ground, because she
is the best part of the harvest. By carefulness of the threshing, you
232
may always conclude the value of the grain. (H. E. I., 186-196,
3692-3695). +III. God proportions our trials to what we can bear.+
The rod for the cummin, the staff for the fitches, the iron wheel for
the corn. (H. E. I., 179-188, 3674-3695). +IV. God continues trials
until we let go.+ As soon as the farmer sees that the straw has let
go the grain, he stops the threshing. We hold on to this world with
its pleasures, riches, and emoluments, as though for ever. God comes
along with some threshing trouble, and beats us loose. Oh, let go!
Depend upon it that God will keep upon you the staff, or the rod, or
the iron wheel until you _do_ let go. +V. Christian sorrow is going
to have a sure terminus.+ "Bread corn is bruised, because _He will
not be ever threshing it._" So much of us as is wheat will be
separated from so much of us as is chaff, and there will be no more
need of pounding. "He will not ever be threshing it." Blessed be God
for that! (Rev. xxi. 4).--_T. De Witt Talmage, D.D._
FOOTNOTES:
233
conception were as assured, and as familiar to us as to the
old Hebrew prophets! For, sooner or later, we shall all
have to endure sorrows, which rend our hearts as the
ploughshare rends the ground, or which bruise our hearts as
the flail bruises the corn.--_S. Cox, D.D.: Expositor,_
vol. i. pp. 89-98.
xxviii. 29. _This also cometh forth from the Lord of hosts,
which is wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working._
The sentiment of the text is that _the art, and science, and skill of
man are the gifts of God._ The prophet instances only agriculture,
but the same principle applies to all the arts and manufactures, and
in a higher degree still to those sublimer sciences which elevate the
human mind, and make us acquainted with the majestic and mysterious
powers of nature. The drift of the writer of the text is this, _if
God thus instructs man in wisdom, how wise must He be Himself!_ If
the mere rays which come from Him convey to us so much light that we
are perfectly astonished at what man can do, what must be the
infinite wisdom in counsel and the excellence of working which are to
be discovered in God Himself! There are two things which shall occupy
our attention. The first is, _the vision of God which the text
presents to us;_ and the second is, _the lesson which such a vision
is calculated to teach us._
234
advise. It is not "do and live," but "believe and live." 6. Then I
might speak of God's plan and God's work _in inward experience._ The
experience of every Christian is in some respects different from that
of another, but it is always the result of God's plan. 7. Another
illustration will be found _in the use of instrumentality._ It is a
wonderful design of God to use one man in the conversion of another.
The one is benefited while the other is blessed. 8. The grandest,
illustration of all will be when, at last, _God's counsels shall be
perfectly fulfilled._ Man shall burst forth into one mighty song,
"Hallelujah! Hallelujah! the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth!" (Rev.
xix. 6).
+II. Some of the lessons from it.+--1. To the unconverted: seeing His
counsel is so wondrous, I would to God _you would agree to it!_ 2. To
the people of God: I want you _to agree to this in your own
particular case._ 3. Brother workers, let us have a well-formed plan,
and _let it be God's plan._ 4. When we know God's plan we _must
remember to carry it out._ 5. When you are resolved to carry out
God's plan, _joyfully expect singular assistance._--_C. H. Spurgeon._
ARIEL.
The word "Ariel" properly means "the Lion of God," and is elsewhere
used of the great brazen altar on which the sacred fire blazed, and
which might be said to devour as a lion the sacrifices presented on
it to God. In our text, however, "Ariel" is used as a name for
Jerusalem. The fact that David had dwelt in it is mentioned, not by
way of historical reference, but as aggravating the guiltiness of the
city, and as in some way proving that it might expect to be visited
with more than common vengeance. In what way is the fact that
Jerusalem could be described as "the city where David dwelt" a
justification of the woes which the prophet was about to denounce
against it? The answer is easy: _We are answerable to God for every
blessing received at His hands, so that we cannot possess a single
privilege which will not, if neglected or abused, be brought against
us as a charge and heighten our condemnation._ This is as true of
communities as of individuals: and the fact that Jerusalem had
profited so little, morally and spiritually, from David's residence
in it was a clear aggravation of its guilt.--1. +David had dwelt in
Jerusalem as a king.+ As such, his authority and his example might
have been expected to have made a deep impression on the religious
life of the people. Consider how powerful is the example of men in
exalted stations.--2. +David had dwelt in Jerusalem as a poet.+
Consider how powerful is the influence of song on national character,
and how truly David's psalms were national songs. As every English
child is taught loyalty by the notes of "God save the Queen," every
Jewish child was instructed in piety by the well-known strains of the
sweet singer of Israel. Surely if anything could have kept religion
alive in Jerusalem, it would have been this writing it into the
poetry this weaving it into the music of the nation. It was like
taking possession of the strings of a nation's heart, and providing
that their vibrations should respond only to truth.--3. +The memory
235
of David had long been a blessing to Jerusalem.+ For his sake evil
had been averted from it (2 Kings xix. 34). To pronounce a woe upon
the Jerusalem or the city where David had dwelt was to tell the Jews
that the conservative influence of that monarch's piety would no
longer be of any avail for them; that even as children, though long
spared in recompense by the righteousness of their fathers, may reach
a point at which they have filled the measure of their guilt, and at
which, therefore, they can receive no further favour as the offspring
of those whom God hath loved; so their iniquity had reached such a
height that forbearance, long manifested for the sake of the most
pious of kings, was at length wearied out, and there remained no
further place for intercession.
DREAMING.
236
they were destined never to witness! For, in the dead of night, the
Destroying Angel went forth, and in the morning nothing remained of
185,000 of them but their lifeless corpses. So ended their dreams!
II. Another form of the dream is the impression that WORK, _i.e.,
secular occupation, is the great business of life._ Work is not to be
spoken of without respect. 1. The _Bible praises work._ "Six days
shalt thou labour." 2. _It keeps us from dependence on others._
3. _It benefits those dependent upon us._ 4. It is good as enabling a
man _to help his neighbours._ 5. Good as giving a man _influence_ by
means of the wealth it produces. 6. Good _as keeping us out of much
evil._ Intemperance is usually the vice of the idle. So of other
vices. But still it has its dangerous side. It shuts out the other
world by the undue prominence it gives to this. It diminishes our
sympathy with the suffering, and makes us unconcerned about the
kingdom of Christ. Noble as work is when compared with idleness, it
is not the great business of life. God did not endow us with
intellect, heart, and spirit, with relations to Himself, to our
fellows, and to immortality, that we might spend our lives in a
practical denial of them all. A life of mere work is a dream as truly
as a life of pleasure.
III. Another thing which men are apt to consider the great business
of life is RELIGION. In many cases "religion" is little more than
amusement; in others superstition; in others mere sentiment. There is
a "religion" which is merely an affair of the intellect; another
where it is hereditary, where a man follows a form of religion
because his fathers did so before him. It is forgotten that religion
is a life. Religious knowledge, beliefs, feelings, exercises are but
the scaffolding and not the building; means to an end, not the end
itself. The great end of life is not to be _religious,_ but to be
237
_good._ True religion has two sides: it first puts us right with God
and then with our fellow-men. We love God first, and only then do we
love man and work for his good.
The prophet tells us how the dreams of these Assyrians vanished. Even
such will be the disappointment of those who are dreaming away the
grand possibilities of the present life.--_B. P. Pratten, B.A.:
Christian World Pulpit,_ vol. iii. pp. 187-191.
238
circumstance; a step on the road; attention called to the disease;
disappearance of the dream. The awakened on the day of Pentecost were
directed respecting conversion. 3. Beware of finding comfort anywhere
else than in the gospel. Performance of religious duties; prayers;
peaceful feeling, you know not why; impression that you are forgiven.
It is untempered mortar; it will not bind the walls. Nothing less
than faith in Jesus.
(_Missionary Sermon._)
+I. The number and might of the enemies of the Gospel.+ It is always
unwise to underrate the forces of the enemy. Injury has been done to
the cause of missions by this action. Good men in the ardour of their
zeal seemed to speak as though heathendom was to be won by one new
crusade, and that the walls of Satan's kingdom would fall flat at a
single blast of their rams' horns. But Scripture takes opposite
ground, and intimates that there must be a continuous and persistent
struggle. Our great General does not conquer in a single campaign; He
goes forth "conquering and to conquer." These numerous and powerful
enemies of Christ's kingdom arise from our own corrupt nature; from
239
the peculiar circumstances of the heathen world; from every class of
society, and are perpetually set in motion by the powers of darkness.
Though they are "the multitude of all the nations," they have one
prince, "the prince of the powers of darkness." To prevent our
forming exaggerated pictures of success, let us remember: 1. _That
the original enmity of the human heart is always and everywhere the
same._ Every sinful passion of the human heart starts up an armed
enemy against Christ and His truth. If at home after centuries of
Christian work, the obstacles to the gospel are so great, how much
more formidable must they be in pagan lands! 2. _The power of Satan
is at all times the same._ And if here he rules supreme in the
children of disobedience, what must his power be in those heathen
lands where he is so strongly entrenched in superstition, idolatry
and prejudices, crimes and passions of men confederated with him
since Adam fell! 3. _The world at large, in its spirit and pursuits,
is decidedly hostile._ Even in our own country, how few can be looked
upon as the genuine disciples of Christ, the true soldiers of the
Cross! How mighty the forces sent out even here against the Lord and
against His anointed! This part of the earth is still in the hands of
the wicked.
+III. The glory that shall rise from thence to Zion's King+ (Ps.
lxxii. 10, 11, 15). His wisdom will baffle all their designs, His
power crush every hostile force, and His kingdom rise on the ruin of
their dark confederacies (1 Cor. xv. 25).--_Samuel Thodey._
240
God's service, our worship will be thrown back upon us with the
withering words, "Who hath demanded _this_ at your hands?" This
worthless thing! "Bring no more vain oblations." How strikingly our
Lord put this principle of supremacy (Luke xiv. 26): "In every man's
heart I must be supreme, or therein I cannot dwell." Infidels must
ignorantly misread this passage. One of their counts against
Christianity is that it frowns on family joys; while every day's
facts prove that the truest Christian is the best husband, father,
&c. God being first in a man's heart, that heart is humanised, its
generosity enlarged, so as to take in, not only the family, but "all
mankind." But some, after having given their hearts to the Lord,
withdraw them from His service (Matt. xiii. 22; 2 Tim. iv. 10).
+II. This charge has been true in every generation.+ The heart's
weakness and the world's force are ever the same. This evil existed
in our Lord's day (Matt. xv. 8, 9). For long years before the
Reformation whole nations of Christendom presented to God a mere
formal worship. And to-day, of how many congregations may the words
of Ezekiel be said! (Ezek. xxxiii. 31).
241
attendance on worship, however large, does not represent a religious
state of mind, but is simply an outward performance. The latter was
the state into which religion had fallen in Judea. The religious
observances of the people were not inspired by knowledge of God's
Word, but by human authority. The text--
+I. Describes a great privilege.+ "This people draw near me." God
speaks after the manner of men. When we desire to speak closely to a
friend we get near him. This is coming close to God (Ps. lxxiii. 28;
Heb. x. 22; Heb. vii. 19; James iv. 8). Is it not a wonder that the
Almighty permits us to draw nigh to Him? Men make it difficult for
their inferiors to obtain access; but the Infinite and Eternal One
makes Himself accessible to His creatures. Not only so; He has made a
way for creatures stained by sin. The Lord Jesus Christ stands
between God and man by virtue of His atoning death and interceding
life. The guilty, condemned, utterly impure, have only to renounce
their sinfulness and avail themselves of this new and living way. If
there is truthfulness and sincerity, they will be welcome. In the
sanctuary, in meeting for prayer, in the family, in the closet, in
the round of daily duty, we may draw near to God. Do you know
anything of the blessedness of this privilege? Enjoyment, comfort,
purity, fitness for intercourse with men, for the battle of life, for
the work of the world, do they not all come through this privilege?
+II. Points out a serious abuse+ (ver. 13). Their sin was not the
abandonment of worship. That is a measure of ungodliness not reached
without a long process. Unsettled faith, indifference to spiritual
blessings, habits of sinful indulgence, conduct to it. What
multitudes have reduced themselves to this predicament? But it was
not their case. They had not relinquished the ordinances of worship;
they observed them. But there was a twofold defect: the heart was
absent and the motive was wrong. 1. _Something was present that ought
to have been absent._ "Their fear toward Me is taught by the precept
of men." Their piety was only out of respect for some human
authority. Our Lord quoted this part of the text in His exposure of
externalism as exemplified by the Pharisees of His time (Matt.
xv. 9). Human authority in religion is here distinctly denounced. One
man may hand the Word of God to another, but no man must impose his
notions of religion on another by his mere authority. A man's
religious service must be the result of his personal conviction. If
he is religious because some one else is, or because it is
respectable, or because it may promote his worldly interest, or
because it is recognised and imposed by the authority of the state,
it is not really the honour and worship of God at all, but of man.
2. _Something was absent that ought to have been present._ "But have
removed their heart far from Me." God must be worshipped with the
heart. Apart from the outward expression of inward reality, the
movement of the lips and the utterance of the mouth are nothing. Real
worship is the consent of the understanding, will, affections, to the
homage which is paid by the lips. Without this they are mockery, as
when one who stands in the king's presence is alienated from his
allegiance.
+III. Utters a solemn warning+ (ver. 14). Their religion was only the
counsel of man. It was unavailing for its purpose, and would come to
nothing (1 Cor. i. 19). Such worship is: 1. _Unacceptable._ God is
not deceived. Realise the terribleness of being rejected. He says,
242
"It is not the kind of worship I require." After all your wisdom
(Isa. i. 11-15). 2. _Unsuccessful._ The prayers offered only by the
lips are not heard. No answer comes, no blessing descends. This comes
of the policy which followed the precepts of men. 3. _Unstable._
After such religion reaction may be expected. There is no inward life
to sustain the outward exercises. Does not the test point to that
deeper spiritual blindness which follows the attempt to put the
wisdom of man in the place of the wisdom of God?
xxix. 19. _The meek also shall increase their joy in the
Lord._
Meekness does not mean timidity (2 Tim. i. 7); not the craven spirit
of the coward, but the quiet power of the strong man (Prov.
xxviii. 1). It does not mean the absence of courage, but the absence
of that ignorant and arrogant self-sufficiency which Peter showed
when he said, "Though all men forsake Thee, yet will not I." It is
that calmness of spirit which grows not out of reliance on self, but
out of reliance on God. It is recorded of one whose courage at times
had flashed up like a consuming fire, "Now the man Moses was very
meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth." His
meekness was not feebleness, but a calm strength; quiet endurance in
the doing of duty under difficulties. He was not provoked by the
wrong-headedness or irritated by the ingratitude of the nation he
wished to serve, but he quietly bore their stubbornness, and
persisted in doing them good against their will. Hence a quiet doing
and a quiet bearing of the will of God is one consistent in this
quality of the mind "meekness." It does not mean that equableness of
disposition which comes from nature, so much as that calmness of
spirit which comes from grace. It is one of the fruits of the Spirit
(Gal. v. 23). This quality of mind in God's people is shown: 1. _In
their intercourse with God._ In His presence they manifest "a humble,
lowly, and contrite heart." Theirs is not the spirit of the Pharisee,
but the lowly contrition of the publican. Not "Stand by, for I am
holier than thou," but "I am not worthy," &c. In a ready acceptance
of the doctrines of grace and salvation through a Saviour crucified.
Not like the Pharisees, who scorned the Saviour "as a root out of a
dry ground," but like those few elect souls, just and devout, who
"were waiting for the consolation of Israel." Christianity is a
discipline of humility. In making men Christ-like it makes them meek.
Jesus was meek and lowly, and He promises to those like Himself rest
243
of soul. 2. _In their submission to the allotments of Providence_
(Job xiv. 14, xiii. 15; Micah vii. 9; Lev. x. 3; 1 Sam. iii. 18;
H. E. I. 157, 158, &c.) 3. _In their deportment before their
fellow-men._ They do not arrogate to themselves that superiority
which despises and neglects others, but obey the apostolic
injunctions (1 Pet. ii. 17, iii. 8).
1. _He saves them._ Often in outward troubles they become the charge
and care of His providence (Zeph. ii. 3). How wonderfully was Moses
saved from the strivings and rebellions of the people! Leaving his
vindication in the hands of the Great Judge, God took up his cause;
and when the whole camp was against him, God delivered him. How
wonderfully was Joseph delivered from the pit and the prison, and
Jeremiah in the siege! But always are they saved from
soul-destruction. "Saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation."
2. _He beautifies them._ "He will beautify the meek with salvation."
By the robe of righteousness, the inward adorning of the soul in
every virtue, by the special manifestation of His mercy when most
needed (chap. lxi. 3), by giving them that esteem and commanding
influence which often attracts and impresses their fellow-men. 3. _He
makes it appear that He delights in them._ "The Lord taketh pleasure
in His people."
"The poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel." They
rejoice in His salvation; they praise Him in voice, and heart, and
life (Isa. lxi. 10).--_Samuel Thodey._
RELIGIOUS JOY.
244
Thus, if we ascend to the spiritual region and contemplate the
salvation of man, it includes the compassionate love of God, which
gave His Son to impoverishment, suffering, and death; full
forgiveness of sin; the various influences of the Divine Spirit; the
elevated spiritual privileges and hopes bestowed on fallen men. All
this came from the grace of God; it originated in His nature. "God is
love." But the God whose nature can be read in this way is not a God
to repel, but attract; not a god of whom to stand in terrified awe,
but a God in whom to rejoice.
And this result emerges if we take a more direct look at the Divine
character. We are supplied with verbal asservations as well as
historical illustrations. We read of the Almighty, the All-wise, the
All-righteous, the All-holy, as well as the All-loving. Power, even
with justice, would fail to produce joy. But a God of power, and
love, and holiness can be a delight, because He can be loved.
If you attempt to examine, you will find that your joy in God is
compounded of several other feelings, which, like tributary streams,
swell with the river of your pleasure. 1. _Gratitude._ For experience
of the Divine goodness. It expresses itself in thanks and songs. You
think with pleasure of one for whom you are grateful. 2. _Affection._
Love is closely akin to gratitude. And God has taken away all cause
of alienation. The love of God in Christ possesses the heart. Love
delights in its object (Rom. v. 11). 3. _Confidence._ We trust Him
entirely. In present distresses or future fears. If distrust crosses
our minds, we dismiss it as inconsistent with the truth of which we
have satisfied ourselves. Now if there is perfect confidence in Him
on whom we depend, we cannot fail to rejoice in Him.
4. _Approbation._ We find the Holy One of Israel a Being in whom we
can be infinitely satisfied. At no point, in no respect, could we
desire Him to be different from what He is. Nor is it the admiration
sometimes expressed for characters there is no desire to imitate.
Christians earnestly desire likeness to God. Putting all these
together, there must be joy in the Lord.
"The meek shall increase their joy in the Lord." Earthly joy is
short-lived. The objects from which it proceeds are liable to change
245
and perish. Many of these, even if they continue, fall. They become
flat by satiety and continuity. We outgrow them as a child outgrows
his toys. But Christian joy is permanent and tends to increase,
because its object remains the same for ever, while His fulness is
ever unfolding itself. Knowing and experiencing more of God, there is
more joy in Him. Thus there is a constant increase--in the _present_
world, and in the _world to come._
Would you enjoy this privilege? Then make it possible. Possess the
character. Ye must be born again. Do not indulge sin. Keep Christ in
your thoughts. Thus you will be superior to earthly
enjoyments.--_John Rawlinson._
The policy inculcated by the Divine Ruler on the Jewish nation was a
policy of isolation. Now, this would be a self-destructive policy.
But the circumstances of that nation were peculiar. It was not a
missionary to the world, but it was a witness. When it formed
alliances with surrounding nations, its witness became indistinct. It
often dropped its testimony and adopted the idolatries against which
its protest should have been uniform. This prophecy is against the
alliance with Egypt. Assyria was about to invade that country. It was
feared she would take Judea on the way. Now, the Lord was its
defence; there was therefore no need to seek assistance from any
other power whatsoever. It was a rebellious and unbelieving spirit
that sought this alliance. The politicians sought a covering from the
impending storm; but they did not seek it by Divine counsel. They
were adding another sin to the number against them. It would be shame
and confusion at the end. Egypt would be unwilling or unable to help.
+I. All sin proceeds from neglect and defiance of God's counsel.+
2. Our text charges men with acting on other counsel than the Divine.
The charge is twofold. (1.) _Neglect of the counsel they ought to
246
have sought._ Sincere desire to be right would apply to the Divine
Word in relation to all the conduct of life. How many adopt and act
upon the principle that it shall guide everything? Is not its
authority discounted? When tempted to the questionable or sinful, but
advantageous, how many, with steady clearness of moral vision, look
straight at God's counsel? As to the ministry of the Word, one part
of the function of which is to keep men's moral perceptions clear,
how many absent themselves from it entirely! (2.) _Seeking the
counsel they ought not to have sought._ They sought counsel of their
own inclinations. It was a foregone conclusion. They _wished_ to go
down into Egypt. If they consulted, it was, as often happens, with
those inclined in the same way. Men are secretly conscious of
alienation from God, which instinctively dislikes His
recommendations. Man's moral nature is unhinged; and he turns from
God anywhither. The maxims of the world, the opinions of associates,
considerations of worldly interest, conspire to the rejection of His
counsel. Micaiah must be imprisoned if he prophesy evil, although it
be true.
"That they may add sin to sin." Sin is rarely single (H. E. I.,
4507-4509). A rope is twined from many threads. The Jewish people
committed one sin by forsaking the counsel of God, another in
trusting to the help of Egypt. Some substances have an affinity for
each other. So have moral elements. Sins have a fearfully attractive
and accumulative power. The youth wanders from the house of God.
Conscience is stifled. Amusement is sought. Loose companions are
cultivated. Restraint is gradually thrown off. Fraud is necessary.
Fraud requires falsehood. One falsehood requires another. Sin is
added to sin. Soon as a sin is committed it drops the seed of
another, and so onward in terrible progression. Add grain of sand to
grain until it becomes a mountain. Money is scraped together by care
and labour, but sins rush to each other with mutual attraction. If
you could have foreseen the growth of your own sins, surely you would
have refrained. Count the sins of your life. They are added up in
God's book.
"Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust
in the shadow of Egypt your confusion." Sin makes promises which it
fails to perform. You are disappointed. This is part of the
punishment. Punishment is often appropriate, growing out of the sin.
Sometimes this is palpable, as in the case of sensual lusts. Oftener
subtle. Punishment accumulates, as sin does. There is a treasuring up
of wrath (H. E. I., 4603-4614). Will you continue to accumulate it?
or will you pause, cease? You must repent. Do not hug your chains.
You must cry for mercy. You must yield. You must repair to the
cross.--_John Rawlinson._
STRENGTH IN QUIETNESS.[1]
247
There is a sense in which "sitting still" is not our strength, but
our destruction. To sit still in sin and unbelief is the practice and
the ruin of the unconverted. To such men, exhortations of a precisely
opposite character must be addressed. There is a sense too in which
there is to be no "sitting still" even for the righteous (Phil.
ii. 12, 13; 2 Pet. i. 5-10; Heb. iv. 11). To understand our text, we
must acquaint ourselves with the circumstances which gave occasion to
it. The Israelites were under the special protection and guardianship
of God. Many and great were the deliverances which He wrought for
them. Yet, when in difficulty and danger, they thought more of man's
arm than of His. Now threatened by the Assyrians, where did they turn
for help? To Egypt--to that very people who had once so cruelly
oppressed their forefathers! To make sure of having it, they sent to
Egypt large sums of money. It was in rebuke of such foolish
ingratitude to God that our text was written. "Their strength," said
the Lord, "is to sit still,"--to forbear, that is, from sending off
for help to man, and to "sit still" quietly at home, relying on the
help of God. This was their strength, for let them but do this and
then they had a stronger with them than all that were against them.
248
forbear for recompensing evil with evil, and to commit his cause
patiently and calmly to his God. David did so in more instances than
one; and the Lord took up the quarrel of His servant, avenged him of
his adversaries, and set him up on high above them (Rom. xii. 19-26).
FOOTNOTES:
Many wish to be deceived. They have made truth their enemy and shrink
from the light, desiring present relief and peace, even at the
expense of future happiness. Many a man does not like to be told the
truth about his business or his health. The Jews did not like to be
told the truth about their national prospects. The incessant
reference of the prophets to the holiness of God was offensive to
them, and they tried to silence their faithful monitors. Faithful
ministers of Christ meet with the same reception from many of their
hearers. These cannot bear to have their consciences roused, their
fears alarmed, and their minds rendered uneasy.
249
4. _Painful forebodings of future misery._ Resolutely cleaving to
their sins, they do not like to be reminded of the doom to which they
are hastening.
250
to obligation. What is this but a requesting that the Holy One of
Israel may cease from before His people? (2.) Inconsistent professors
are likewise anxious that the preacher should confine himself to
consolatory topics. Hypocrites! he gives you that which belongs to
you. Consolation would be to you a deadly poison, a fatal opiate.
(3.) Sometimes even those who have only the ordinary imperfections of
even the best men wish to hear less of the alarming parts of Divine
truth. But have you no concern for the salvation of others? Besides,
who can tell but what you dislike may be necessary for keeping you
awake? (4.) Let those who cannot bear to hear the descriptions of
future punishment think with themselves how they shall be able to
endure it.--_John Angell James, Sermons,_ ii. 181-214.
CHRISTIAN QUIETNESS.[1]
251
come; we may not distrust God's power and willingness to help us; we
may not seek help from Egypt.
IV. These words should be our guide in view of the changes and
excitements of our times. Because of them many are filled with
unreasonable fears. But are we to lose our patience and steadfastness
because irreligious speculators and worldly religionists are in an
uproar? No; let them follow their own course; let us act upon the
principle of our text. Truth is safe; the Church is founded upon a
Rock; nothing can harm it, _but our attempting to defend it with
carnal weapons._ Our weapons are the Word of God and prayer. In the
use even of _them,_ we must take heed what spirit we are of, that we
use them not in a worldly or angry spirit. Let God do His own work.
Let us not venture to step beyond ours. It is not our work to keep
the world in order. With the eye of our faith fixed upon Him who with
unerring wisdom and omnipotent might controls all the changes and
developments of human affairs, let us quietly pursue the duties which
He has assigned us, and we shall be safe, and strong, and
blessed.--_J. G. Dowling, M.A.: Sermons,_ pp. 55-75.
FOOTNOTES:
xxx. 15, 16. _For thus saith the Lord God, &c._
252
and glory of the Church of God. The Church is the Spouse of Christ;
she is gifted and dowried by Him; and does not depend for success
upon the State, or any form of human help. The first preachers of
Christianity were poor and unlearned men, owing all their success to
the power of the Holy Ghost. We must rely upon the same force.
253
complete change from sin; from wrong confidence to simple faith. Many
examples in the Old Testament show that believing reliance on God was
a surer way to deliverance than the power of man. Apostolic preaching
points to faith as the link of connection between the sinner and the
Saviour. The salvation is by faith, that it may be free.
Ver. 16. They had no faith. They looked to human helpers. It is the
tendency of man. And thus the gospel is set aside. 1. By
_negligence._ Because of prevailing unbelief spiritual blessings are
undervalued. Sin is loved. There is little moral earnestness.
Acceptance of the Gospel is postponed as if it were some disagreeable
duty. 2. By _contempt._ The horses on which they said they would ride
point to Egypt as their strength. It was contempt of God's help. Thus
their fathers had turned to the golden calf. Thus some turn to money,
some to earthly pleasures, some to the Church, some to the priest for
salvation. Anywhere rather than to the Saviour Himself. 3. By
_self-confidence._ Ceremonies of religion are performed; prayers
offered; obedience rendered; alms given with a view to propitiate the
Divine favour and obtain salvation as a debt. It rejects the truth of
the Bible. It proceeds from ungodliness, pride, and unbelief.
Ver. 17. All your confidence will break down. You will be utterly
ruined. It will be as when a great power collapses. So shall it be
with sinners (Ps. lii.; Jer. xvii. 5, 6). So with sinners who reject
the Gospel. There will be--1. _Complete failure._ You will be left in
your original helplessness; at the mercy of the enemy: at the mercy
of your sins. 2. _Signal punishment._ For the criminality is most
aggravated. You will have insulted God by flinging back His offered
hand. Mark _the means_ by which punishment will come. By the very
things you have trusted. Mark _the manner_ in which punishment will
come. It will be utter ruin. Mark _the end_ your punishment will
serve. It will be a beacon to warn others against your fate. Instead
of trusting in any other help, fly to Jesus. Believe in Him. He gives
the weary rest. You shall be saved, now and for ever.--_J. Rawlinson._
A promise clear and precious in itself may gain in force and value
when it is viewed in its surroundings. The diamond may be sparkling
and brilliant, but we prefer it in its setting. The rose by itself is
lovely, but we would rather have it with the green leaves around it.
We have an instance in the first chapter of this book, where, after
exposing the hypocrisy, formality, and wickedness of the people in
the most withering words, God suddenly exchanges the stern tone of
threatening for the sweet accents of mercy, _Come now, and let us
reason together._ Another example is found in Matt. xi., where our
Lord, after pronouncing His solemn woes, and asserting the Divine
sovereignty, in the very next sentence utters His tender invitation,
_Come unto Me._ The still small voice of mercy is all the sweeter and
254
more welcome because of the thunders by which it is preceded. The
same rapid transition may be observed in the passage before us. Cast
your eye over the preceding context, and you find the saddest picture
ever drawn of human perversity. What a heavy indictment (vers. 9,
10). How terrible that sentence pronounced (vers. 13, 14, 17). Is it
at once carried into execution? No. _Therefore will the Lord wait._
Wait for whom--for the humble, the repentant, the submissive? No; for
the sinful, the trifling, the scoffing. This mingling of grace and
truth is very striking. As the play of the lightning is more
brilliant during the darkness of the night, so God's mercy shines out
more gloriously through the murky night of man's sin. As the colours
of the rainbow are most vivid when it rests on some black cloud or
frowning cliff, so heaven's grace is seen to best advantage on the
background of human guilt.
255
II. MAN WAITING FOR GOD. "Blessed are all they that wait for Him." We
have seen how He waits for us to be gracious unto us, to be exalted
in having mercy upon us, and we should wait in humble faith to
receive these priceless blessings, bringing our empty vessels that
they may be filled. The _blessedness_ of so waiting is set forth in
numerous passages of Scripture. What entire satisfaction and peace do
they enjoy who take this attitude of soul described as waiting on the
Lord! In waiting for man we are often disappointed and deceived, but
how can we ever exhaust the Divine mercy and goodness? O happy soul
that waits for God, and rejoicing in the plenitude of His goodness
sings,
If God had not first waited for us, we never would have waited for
Him. He took the initiative. Why should any of us keep God waiting
longer? Are your sins too great? Have you been proud and rebellious?
It is precisely to such the promise is made. God is waiting _now_ to
be gracious, but the day of grace will soon be past.--_William
Guthrie, M.A._
This truth is brought out more fully when the light of the Gospel is
thrown upon it. Man is sinful. Some scarcely see this, because they
have never examined the law. Some admit the truth of universal
depravity, but lose themselves in the crowd. Some have a sense of sin
which causes anxiety, from which they see no escape. Others find rest
and comfort on inadequate and delusive grounds. Now we need not
merely peace. That solicitude is put to rest does not prove that a
man is safe. He may sleep when his house is burning. He may have
taken what he considered precautionary measures without informing
himself as to the measures that were necessary, or even in disregard
of competent advice on the subject. We should find peace in God's
way. Consider the text in the light of the Gospel. It is full of
encouragement, but it implies a caution.
256
means that God may be gracious to men on the ground of their
repentance and reformation. The analogy between an earthly father and
God as a Father is often drawn so as to overlook the fact that He is
a moral governor, and that public justice is concerned in His
transactions with men. A father may forgive his child's offence on
his repentance, because it is a matter purely between themselves.
When the offender repents, the demands of the case are met. But an
offence against public law is different. A thief or a murderer
confesses his guilt, professes repentance and determination never to
repeat his crime; is the law satisfied? Would any one say he ought to
be forgiven? Now, sin is not only an offence against God, but against
public law, for which repentance is no satisfaction (H. E. I.,
4225-4228).
257
And this is the answer to the question, For what is He waiting? Why
cannot He be gracious at once?
+III. The text implies that grace can only be exercised when its
conditions are accepted.+
Should He bestow it on all? In their sins? The case stands thus: God
has done His part in providing mercy; there is a part for man. What
is it? To consent. To confess the sin with conviction, humility,
sorrow. To accept the mercy by sending up the believing cry. To
surrender to God as the rebel submits to his prince and returns to
his allegiance (H. E. I., 240).
Let not the love of sin nor deadness to spiritual things hold you
back. Refusal to seek His grace is determined resistance of His
authority and His love (H. E. I., 4247, 4248).--_J. Rawlinson._
FOOTNOTES:
258
righteousness. Since He waits in patient love to show the
favour at the last, they also are bound to wait, in faith
and patience, until the blessing shall come."
xxx. 18. _Blessed are all they that wait for Him._
+I. What is meant by waiting upon the Lord?+ Not that sitting still
and biding our time, like a man waiting for a coach. Not that we are
to sit in quiet, idle supineness, expecting the Lord to come and fill
our souls with joy and peace, as He used to fill the tabernacle with
His glory. Yet, because they cannot convert their own souls, and
sanctify their own hearts, thousands rashly conclude that they must
quietly wait until the Lord work a miracle for them and save them.
The Bible declares our helplessness in order _that we may be stirred
up to seek help from God_ (Eph. v. 14; Phil. ii. 12, 13; 2 Pet.
ii. 10). What do we mean when we engage a servant to wait upon us?
Not that he is to compose himself to sleep until we signify that we
want him; but that he should attend upon us, hold himself in
readiness to do our bidding, make himself acquainted with our rules
and conform to them, and with our wishes, and do his best to obey
them with all readiness, cheerfulness, and faithfulness. So when the
Lord bids us "wait for Him," He means that we should diligently seek
His face, inquire into His laws, keep His statutes, and walk in His
ordinances, expecting to receive, in His own good time, the blessings
which He has promised to those who "wait upon Him."
+II. How are we to wait for the Lord?+ 1. We must wait upon God _with
the heart:_ we must be in earnest. _We_ have no respect for the
attentions and fair speeches of our fellow-men when we have reason to
believe them mere idle compliments: will God accept from us what we
have scorn to receive from one another? (Jer. xiii. 13). 2. We must
wait _entirely_ upon God, whether we are in search of peace, strength
or happiness (Ps. lxii. 1-5). 3. We must wait upon the Lord
_patiently_ and _perseveringly._ He is the rewarder of all them "that
_diligently_ seek Him;" but He has never pledged Himself either to
the time when, or the mode in which, He will answer our prayers. He
may put our sincerity to the test by keeping us waiting for some
time; but we shall never wait in vain (Ps. xl. 1). Remember how long
Abraham had to wait for the fulfilment of the promise of a seed; but
in the end, through faith and _patience,_ he inherited the promise
(Gal. vi. 9).--_E. Crow, M.A.: Plain Sermons,_ pp. 120-136.
Change and uncertainty mark all things here. The wisest plans often
baffled, the fairest prospects blighted. But the truths and blessings
of the Gospel are not subject to this law or uncertainty. God's
schemes are never frustrated; His promises never broken.
259
providence and grace._ It is the patient waiting for the performance
of the promise in the exercise of faith. It implies a knowledge of
God,--a confidence in Him,--a rest in His promises, as of a child in
a father; a servant in a master (Ps. cxxii. 1, 2). 3. _They wait for
the clearing up of perplexities in the Divine Government._ Oftentimes
in their own history and in the history of others, God's providence
bears a mysterious and perplexing aspect. But the believing soul
says, "All will come right at last. What we know not now we shall
know hereafter." (H. E. I., 4043-4048).
II. THE BLESSEDNESS OF SUCH WAITING FOR GOD. 1. The very exercise of
prayer, faith, and patience is _a culture of the soul._ In such
culture there lies "Blessedness." 2. Theirs shall be the _blessedness
of satisfaction._ Disappointment meets man in every walk of life, but
those who trust in the Lord's Justice, Wisdom, and Goodness shall
never "be ashamed."--_Samuel Thodey._
xxx. 19. _He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice
of thy cry._
+I. There are persons before me for whom this gracious assurance is
particularly suitable.+ It is most comforting--
1. _To all afflicted people._ You are depressed; things have gone
amiss; you do not prosper in business, or you are sickening in body,
or a dear one lies at home pining away. In your straits possibly you
may be ready to try some wrong way of helping yourself out of your
difficulties. Yield not to Satan. There is help in God for you now.
The Lord is not now visiting you in wrath; there is kindness in His
severity. By yielding yourself to God, and trusting Him in this your
evil plight, you will obtain deliverance (ver. 15).
260
be found in sin, and take your swing while you may. Do not believe
this lie of Satan. There is hope; you are in the land of mercy still.
You need do nothing to make the Lord propitious, He is love already;
you need not undergo penance, nor pass through grievous anguish of
spirit in order to render God more merciful, for His grace aboundeth.
Therefore we say to you, go to Him and test Him, for He will be
gracious to the voice of your cry.
3. _To backsliders filled with their own ways,_ who are alarmed and
distressed at their grievous departures from God. You may well be
grieved, for you have done much dishonour to the name of God amongst
the ungodly; you have pierced His saints with many sorrows. If you
were cast off for ever as a traitor and left to die as a son of
perdition, what could be said but that you were reaping the fruit of
your own ways? Yet the text rings in your ears at this time like a
clear silver bell, and its one note is grace. "He will be very
gracious unto thee" (Jer. iii. 14; H. E. I., 424).
+II. The assurance here given is very firmly based.+ It rests--1. _On
the plain promise of God_ as given in the text, and in many similar
declarations scattered all over the Scriptures. 2. _On the gracious
nature of God._ It is His nature to be gracious. Judgment is His
strange work, but He delighteth in mercy. Nothing pleases Him more
than to pass by transgression, iniquity, and sin when we lie humble
and penitent before Him. 3. _On the prevalence of prayer._ This we
know, an experience of eight-and-twenty years has proved that God
heareth prayer; therefore we say to you, go to Him and test Him, for
He will be gracious to the voice of your cry.
261
THE BREAD OF ADVERSITY.
xxx. 20, 21. _And though the Lord give you the bread of
adversity, &c._[1]
I. DIFFICULTIES SUPPOSED.
I. A CALAMITY ANTICIPATED.
Affliction may be continuous and severe. Bread and water are the
prominent things in the sustenance of life. Day by day reserved. Few,
if any, are entirely exempt from affliction. Periods of difficulty
and privation, when weeks and months of consuming anxiety are
experienced. Losses which seriously incommode and cripple their
business. Troubles in the family, sometimes from the conduct of those
most loved. Bereavements which rend the heart. Sickness, accident,
consuming disease, and excruciating pain wear life slowly away.
The godly are not exempted. The infected atmosphere may poison the
saint as well as the sinner. If a good man falls over a precipice he
will be killed. "The same hurricane may equally swamp the vessel
which is filled with pirates and that which is filled by a band of
devoted missionaries." If a Christian neglect his business, or
conduct it on unsound principles, he must expect insolvency. He may
conduct it with perfect commercial wisdom and care and yet be
overtaken by disasters from causes beyond his control.
262
But it does not happen by chance. There is no such thing as fate. We
recognise the hand of the Lord. "Though _the Lord_ give you the bread
of affliction and the water of adversity." In this truth is help for
believers perplexed by the mystery of sorrow. It throws their
thoughts on God. And they have such confidence in Him that is a
resting-place. We do not know, we never can know, the evils He
prevents. When He permits or sends trouble we may rest assured that
there is a sufficient reason (Lam. iii. 33).
What are the reasons?[2] We may mistake their application, but they
are such as these: 1. It is sometimes _punitive._ God has established
a connection between sin and suffering. The former always works
towards the latter. The chain of connection may be so subtle, and may
extend so far back, that we cannot follow it. Yet such a chain there
is. When affliction comes, it is useful to trace the chain, and
ascertain, if we can, wherefore the Lord is contending with us. 2. It
is sometimes _corrective._ He deals with us as men deal with their
children (Heb. xii. 5-11). It is not that He may vent His anger, but
recall them to their better selves. He means it as the refiner means
the fire into which he casts the gold (Ps. cxix. 67). 3. It is
sometimes _auxiliary._ The means to an end. The dark way into light.
It is necessary to some advantage which could not be reached without
it. Joseph's slavery and imprisonment were the steps to his
subsequent greatness. Jesus reached the crown by the cross. Perhaps
you can illustrate from your own experience.
Meantime, here is
Their teachers had been removed. The prophets were persecuted (verses
9, 10). Jeremiah, Zedekiah, under Jezebel's persecution. Obadiah had
hid a hundred in caves. Persecution usually fastens on the teachers
as most prominent. Thus Apostles. Thus the Nonconforming clergy in
England. Thus the missionaries were driven from Madagascar. But the
promise here in that they shall regain their liberty. And this will
be not only a relief to themselves, but an antidote to the people's
calamities. It will secure: 1. _Instruction._ "Thy teachers." Truth
is the basis of everything in experience or practice. It is their
business carefully to unfold and apply the truth.[3]
2. _Consolation._ Christian ordinances are consolatory. There are
truths that bear on troubles. The views of the Divine character and
of the course of Providence exhibited in the Gospel sustain and
comfort. 3. _Direction._ There is danger of turning to right or left.
So many allurements, from ignorance, misguidance, temptation. By the
ministry you hear the voice which points out the way, invites
steadfastness, warns against divergence.
God provides guidance in the journey to the better land. Value the
ministry of the Word. Attend it. Follow its teaching.--_J. Rawlinson._
FOOTNOTES:
263
though the Lord give you bread in short measure and water
in scant quantity,"_ &c. But Delitzsch, Kay, and Birks
render the first clause: "And the Lord will give you bread
in your adversity and water in your affliction." Mr. Birks
adds: "These words form part of a promise, not its
limitation. Here they are assured that, although besieged,
they will not be given over to famine. The path of duty
will be made plain by God's prophets, and speedy
deliverance be given."
xxx. 21. _And thou shalt hear a voice behind thee, &c._
264
performing sluggishly. Thus understood, we may see that in this
promise God compares Himself as it were to a shepherd, who puts his
sheep before him; or to a schoolmaster who will have his scholars in
sight, that so he may the better keep them in order.
II. But the promise may be that of an additional blessing, the inward
motions and suggestions of the Holy Spirit. His voice may be called
"a word behind us," because--1. Of its secresy (Job iv. 12).
2. Because it follows us always, as constantly as our shadow.
Parallels to this promise we find in 1 John ii. 20, 27; John xiv. 26,
xvi. 13.
III. This voice His people hear when they are about to wander, or
have wandered from the way of righteousness. From that way it is easy
to depart; but God loves His people, and cannot abide to see them
miscarry, and therefore He counsels them. "This is the way, walk ye
in it," is sometimes a word of correction and reformation, in case of
error; sometimes a word of instruction and direction, in case of
ignorance; sometimes a word of strengthening and confirmation, in
case of unsettledness.
In all these respects God's people hear the "word behind them,"
sometimes giving them very gracious hints concerning the affairs of
this present life, but more frequently concerning the spiritual life.
Those who wait upon God shall not lack counsels concerning the manner
in which they are to serve Him. He answers the prayers of His people
(Ps. xxv. 4, 5; lxxxvi. 11; cxliii. 8).
IV. But how may we know whether the word behind us is the voice of
God, and not merely one of our own fancies, or a suggestion of
Satan's? There are several touchstones by which every "word" may and
should be tested. 1. The word within is to be compared with the Word
without. Every suggestion is to be examined by the rule of Scripture.
God never speaks in the conscience contrary to what He speaks there,
for He is unchangeable and cannot contradict Himself (Isa. viii. 20).
2. God's "words" are orderly and regular; they keep men within the
compass of their callings, and the place in which God has set them.
They incite us not to forsake our duty, but to be faithful in it.
3. They are ordinarily mild, gentle, seasonable; they are not
ordinarily raptures, but such as leave a man in a right apprehension
of what he does, and capable of reflection upon it. 4. They are
265
discernible also from their effects, and the ends to which they tend.
All the hints and motions of God's Spirit tend to make us better, and
to carry us nearer to Himself in one way or another. Honestly using
these tests, we shall learn promptly and surely to discern the voice
of God's Spirit when He says to us, "This is the way, walk ye in it."
+I. Our need of the guidance here promised.+ We are ignorant of the
way to true happiness, and we have not always daylight. The path is
narrow, and is sometimes very intricate. It lies through an enemy's
country. Many as wise as we have lost their way, and, after years of
sorrow, have perished miserably. We need this guidance in youth, in
manhood, in old age, even unto death (P. D., 952, 2388).
+II. Some of the means by which God guides His people.+ The promise
in our text suggests a traveller in doubt as to the course he should
take, pausing perplexed at cross roads, and in danger of choosing a
wrong one, when a friendly voice behind him is heard, saying, "This
is the way, walk ye in it." God thus speaks to His people. 1. By His
_providences._ Afflictions are often monitions and instructions
(H. E. I., 66-70). 2. By His _Word._ It clearly marks the path to
heaven. 3. By our _conscience_ (H. E. I., 1291, 1304, 1308-1312).
4. By His _Spirit;_ by Whom conscience is quickened, our
understanding cleared of delusions, our attention fixed on the happy
career of the righteous, and the disastrous end of the wicked.
RIVERS OF WATERS.
xxx. 25, 26. _And there shall be upon every high mountain,
&c._
These are symbolic of the blessings God will confer upon His people
266
when He returns to them in mercy. These are vivid presentations of
two characteristics of these blessings, their copiousness and their
universality. 1. To express their COPIOUSNESS the prophet speaks not
of streams merely, but of rivers; "rivers and streams of water;" and
declares that they shall be poured forth, not merely as the light
from the sun, but as if the light of seven days were concentrated in
one.[1] 2. To express at once their copiousness and their
UNIVERSALITY, He declares that the rivers and streams shall run on
the hills and mountains, yea, upon _every_ hill and mountain.[2] The
idea of universality is involved also in the future of sunlight.[3]
Have these promises been fulfilled? Yes. 1. _When the Gospel was
given to the world._ Its messengers were sent forth into every land,
and it is a small thing to say that the light it gave was sevenfold
that which the most enlightened of the heathen had possessed. 2. _In
the experience of every believing soul._ The Gospel reaches many who
seem utterly beyond any saving influence; and when it does really
reach a man, is received into his heart. It gives him a light of more
than sevenfold brightness and value as compared with the best of the
lights he before professed--reason and conscience.[4] 3. It is
fulfilled in our own day _by the remarkable increase of religious
knowledge._ God's Word is being carried into every land, and the
children in our daily and Sabbath schools have a fuller acquaintance
with Scripture than many men and women of the last generation. There
is to be a yet more complete fulfilment of these promises in that
glorious era of which we speak as the Millennium.[5]
FOOTNOTES:
267
profusion as to outrun expectation and surpass all
experience. And this not in some highly favoured regions
only, but the blessing shall be universal, even upon
_every_ high mountain and upon _every_ high hill.--_Packer._
xxx. 29-33. _Ye shall have a song . . . and the Lord shall
268
cause His glorious voice to be heard, &c._
269
with notes of gladness, _e.g.,_ Ps. cxviii. 14, 15, 24. If our song
of joy in God is hearty and sincere, we may expect a corresponding
response. If we rejoice in God, He will rejoice over us (Zeph.
iii. 17; Isa. xxxi. 4, 5).
Let the subject teach us the importance of sacred song. Prayer and
preaching are Divinely appointed means of grace and instruction, but
we cannot dispense with song. God fights for His people, but it is
with the accompaniment of tabrets and harps (ver. 32).--_William
Guthrie, M.A._
270
persuade them to escape the ruin and to accept the remedy. Observe,
he does not hide them, for the truth must be told, sin must be
condemned, the wicked must be warned.
+I. Let us examine the local allusion and literal meaning of this
verse.+ "This allusion to Tophet is the earliest which appears in the
Scriptures. Additional particulars appear in the history of Josiah's
reformation (2 Kings xxiii. 10; Jer. vii. 31). The prophet Isaiah
here represents Tophet as a place prepared for the burning of the
Assyrian king. Made deep and large, with fire and wood in abundance,
prepared for the king, and he being thrown into it, the breath of the
Lord kindles it into fearful conflagration. This is, of course, a
figurative description, Tophet being made the central point in the
figure because it was a well-known place, a valley just outside the
city, the valley of Hinnom, used for burning all the offal and filth
of the city of Jerusalem." Isaiah was commissioned to utter this
prophecy of the overthrow and consuming of the Assyrian army, in
order to inspirit Hezekiah and the people against the threatened
invasion. "Tophet is ordained of old" as that fiery place which would
consume the dead bodies of these unjust invaders. Hence the Chaldee
paraphrase says, "It was called the valley of the carcases and of the
ashes or of the dead bodies for this reason, because the dead bodies
of the camp of the Assyrians fell there;" to which Josephus gives
testimony when he relates that the place was called the Assyrian
camp. What force these recollections would give to our Lord's
threatenings of hell to the Jews who saw the smoke of this valley
always rising before their eyes (compare Isa. lxvi. 24 with Mark
ix. 43-48).
+II. Note some of those solemn and awakening truths suggested by this
verse.+ 1. _The same record which provides for the security of the
Church, provides for the final overthrow of its enemies._ This was
the time of Jacob's extremity; he was saved and his enemies consumed.
2. _In the enjoyment of our highest privileges, we are surrounded by
the most solemn terrors._ Tophet lay not only _near,_ but at the very
foot of Mount Zion. From the heights of Zion might be seen the smoke,
the fire, and the worm in the valley of Tophet! A dreadful thought
this! Hell is set full in our view when worshipping in Zion (1 Pet.
iv. 17, 18). Bunyan says, "So I saw a man may go by profession to
heaven's gate and yet be cast away." Our Lord (Luke xiii. 25).
3. _While no combination of power can shield the wicked, the believer
has always a source of safety and a song of joy._--_Samuel Thodey._
These words were spoken by the prophet at a time when the Jewish
nation was in great and imminent danger. They were addrest to the
rulers of the nation, who were endeavouring to ward off the danger:
and their purpose is to rebuke those rulers for the measures they
were taking with that view, by entering into alliance with Pharaoh,
king of Egypt, in the hope that he would deliver them out of it. But
we should make a great mistake if we imagine that there is nothing in
them that concerns our duty as individuals. God's reproofs of nations
271
are such as we may all take home to our hearts, ponder, and learn
from; for they contain principles of righteousness which, like the
sun which shines at once on half the world and ourselves, are
intended for the guidance both of nations and of individuals. Of this
truth a striking example is afforded by our text. Its object is to
rebuke the Jewish rulers for the line of policy which they were
taking with the view of defending their country from her enemies.
Sennacherib, king of Assyria, was marching against Judah, with the
intent of conquering it, and reducing the people to slavery, as
Israel had already been conquered and enslaved a few years before by
Shalmaneser. The danger was very great. What was King Hezekiah to do?
How was Judah to stand against Assyria? If you were to ask any of the
politicians who are wise in the wisdom of this world, they would all
say, there could be no question about the matter; that the only way
of saving Judah was to obtain the alliance and aid of some powerful
nation, whose succour might render her more nearly a match for the
armies of the invader. This is exactly what the rulers of Judah set
about doing. They entered into an alliance with the king of Egypt,
with the view of gaining assistance from him, which might enable them
to cope with Sennacherib in the field. This is just what a statesman,
who plumed himself on his wisdom in these days, would do. Yet it is
for doing this very thing that the prophet Isaiah in the text
reproves and denounced woe against them. Their conduct, therefore,
must have been sinful. Let us try to discover in what their sin lay.
1. They were making use of human means _alone,_ to ward off the
danger which threatened. It is not sinful to use such means; the sin
lies in fancying they can help us without the blessing of God, and in
not seeking _that._ This was what Isaiah denounced, and what we do.
When any danger threatens us, we forthwith take counsel--of
ourselves, of our friends, forgetting that all our counsel in the
first instance ought to be taken of God, by searching His law with
the purpose of discerning what He wills us to do, and by praying Him
to enlighten our understandings, that we may be enabled to discern
His will. So too we are ever seeking to cover ourselves with a
covering, to find some protection or other whereby we may be
preserved from danger: only the covering we should cover ourselves
with is the covering of the Spirit of God. We should make Him our
shield and buckler; and then we need not fear what man can do unto us.
272
woe. When trials come upon men to-day, they are apt to listen to
Satan's assurance that in that particular emergency he can help them
better than God can. They listen; they sin, and the one sin leads to
other sins; and ere long they are ruined (H. E. I., 173-175).
FOOTNOTES:
[1] From that unbelief which loses sight of and forgets the
Ruler and Lawgiver of the world, and which is prone to
worship whatever dazzles the senses and flatters our carnal
nature. What should we say if a child, in a time of doubt
or danger, would not run to ask its parents what to do, but
were to run away from its parents and ask a stranger, or
were to ask its own ignorance, or its own whims, or the
ignorance of its playfellows--yea, were to ask its toys?
Surely such conduct would bespeak a loveless, undutiful
heart and a silliness such as could only be excused during
the faint early dawn of the mind. So is it a proof of a
loveless, undutiful heart not to seek counsel of God; nor
is such conduct less unwise than undutiful. For what do we
want in a counsellor except wisdom and foresight--wisdom to
know the principles and laws of things, and foresight to
discern their consequences? Now, neither of these faculties
can we find in any earthly counsellor, except in a very low
degree. For, not to speak of the numberless accidents which
warp and bias our own judgments and those of our
fellow-men, and lead them awry, even at best man's
understanding, unless so far as it is enlightened from
above by a knowledge of heavenly laws, can only reckon up
what is wont to be, without any insight into what must be;
and his eyes are ever so hoodwinkt by the present that he
cannot even look forward into to-morrow. Whereas everything
that God ordains must be right and true, and must stand
fast for ever, even after heaven and earth have past away.
He knows what we ought to do, _and He will bear us through
in doing it._ Yet we choose rather to be led by the blind
than by the Seeing. . . . Herein the very heathens condemn
us. For they, though they know not the true God, yet
believed there were powers in the heavens far wiser and
longer-sighted than man; and so believing, they acted
accordingly. Rightfully distrusting themselves, they sought
to ascertain the will and purpose of those powers by
searching it out according to the means whereby they
imagined it would be revealed.--_J. C. Hare._
273
THE SPIRITUALITY OF THE DIVINE NATURE.
xxxi. 3. _The Egyptians are men, and not God; and their
horses flesh, and not spirit._
Among the sins to which the ancient Israelites were addicted, one of
the most prevailing was a disposition, in seasons of invasion or
calamity, to place confidence in the power of surrounding nations,
and to seek the assistance of their sovereigns, instead of trusting
in the living God. Egypt, being the largest monarchy in their
immediate neighbourhood, was frequently their refuge in times of
distress and difficulty. Remonstrance (vers. 1, 2).
In the text an important and infinite disparity between God and man,
which rendered the Egyptian monarch infinitely inferior to Him in the
qualities which entitle to confidence and trust. The spirituality of
the Supreme Being is the contrast.
1 Tim. vi. 15, 16. Were He the object of sight, He must be limited.
He cannot, therefore, be figured out by any art or skill of man (Acts
xvii. 24-29; Deut. iv. 15; Ex. xx. 4, 5). Hence the great impiety of
those who have attempted to paint and figure out the persons of the
Trinity. The necessary effect of any attempt to represent the Deity
to the human senses, by pictures or images, must be to degrade, to an
incalculable degree, our conception of Him. Hence images of angels,
the Virgin Mary, and saints of inferior character.
274
Being were material, He would render impossible the co-existence of
created beings. Two portions of matter cannot occupy the same space.
But the infinite Spirit is present with every part of His creation.
He is the source and spring of all happiness (Lam. iii. 24, 25; Ps.
lxxiii. 25, 26). 1. That which constitutes the felicity of the mind
must be something out of it. Whoever retires into his own mind for
happiness will be miserable. God is qualified to be the everlasting
and inexhaustible spring of happiness. 2. He who can always confer
happiness on another being must be superior to that being. To be the
source of happiness is the prerogative of God. 3. That in which the
happiness of a rational and mental creature consists, must be
congenial to the nature of that creature. 4. That which forms the
principle of our felicity must be something that is capable of
communicating itself to us. God, as He is a Spirit, is capable of
communicating Himself to the spirits of His rational creatures. These
communications will constitute the felicity of heaven. Even while
they continue on earth, it is the privilege of the faithful to enjoy
union with the Father of spirits through His Son.
275
Had mankind adhered to the Divine idea, no such word as this would
have been necessary. Divine communications would have consisted
probably of counsels, directions, predictions, progressive
revelations of truth. The demand that man turn shows that he has gone
astray. All Divine communications suppose the existence of sin and
the need of salvation. Happily for us, they show the way in which
salvation may be obtained. The parts of the human race are as the
whole. The people God distinguished by separating them from the
nations, with special connection to Himself, followed the universal
tendency to wander from Him. They forsook His law. When trouble came,
they sought help anywhere. At the time of this prophecy they were
looking to Egypt instead of to the Lord. The prophet remonstrates,
and invites them to make a friend of God against Assyria. The text
may be addressed to sinners now. Here is--
I. A SERIOUS ACCUSATION.
God was the King of Israel. Departure from His laws was a national
revolt. Man's revolt from God consists in--1. +Disaffection.+ When
love to the sovereign departs, the way is prepared for any act of
hostility circumstances may favour. The disaffection of man to God is
inbred. From the original fall man derives a mysterious tendency to
depart from God (H. E. I., 3390-3397). Human nature dislikes the
Divine holiness; dislike of the Divine holiness is the root from
which grow men's evil deeds. So deep is the revolt that man has no
desire to return. 2. +Disobedience.+ You may say it is natural to
sin, and we cannot be held responsible for it. Do you judge of, and
deal with your fellow-man in that way as to their conduct to you? If
they injure, defraud you, do you say they have a natural inclination
to fraud and wrongdoing, and therefore are not responsible? When a
son who has been carefully trained develops tendencies and
inclinations to evil, attaches himself to bad companions, &c., do you
exonerate him from blame because it is his nature? You say he ought
to have resisted the evil inclinations and cultivated such as were
good. You are right. But why should there be a difference when the
object of the wrongdoing is God? The dislike of God's holiness
inherent in human nature develops itself in the indulgence of sinful
passions and disobedience to God's commands. Does the fact that it
was your nature free you from responsibility? Are you not possessed
of reason and conscience? Do not these constitute responsibility? Is
not the fact that you decline the help God offers for the subjugation
of evil sufficient to throw on you the entire blame of your continued
revolt? 3. +Distrust.+ A large part of the revolt of ancient Israel
from God consisted in distrust. When man withdraws his love from God
and abandons himself to disobedience, he is sure to lose faith. You
will soon cease to trust the friend whom you persistently wrong and
disregard. Is not this the explanation of much of the unbelief among
men? They are unhappy in their severance from God, yet unwilling to
return. Then they expunge from their beliefs His declarations
concerning sin and its punishment. Truth after truth disappears. Then
He disappears. They persuade themselves that there is no need of Him,
then that He does not exist. The wish is father to the thought.
Because the heart and life have revolted from Him, the intellect
labours to sweep Him out of the world which He has made.
276
1. "Turn ye unto Him." From the folly of the intellect; from the
perversity of the heart; from the disobedience of the life in which
your revolt has manifested itself. God is. He is a living person,
with all the feelings of one, as well as a supreme ruler clothed with
governmental authority. He is worth turning to. 2. In the Gospel, He
invites you to repent, to turn. It is a complete change of your heart
and life. You can examine and reflect upon the truth. You can
consider the righteousness of His claim. You can consider the motive
that is furnished by His offer of a free pardon and a full salvation
procured for you by the death of His Son. 3. Do you feel yourself
weak? He will help you to turn. 4. Turn from the wrong path to the
right one. (1.) Turn to the trust which He encourages. Bring your sin
and need to Jesus. (2.) Turn to the obedience He demands. There must
be a complete surrender. All sin must be relinquished, even the
dearest. Choose the way of holiness. (3.) Turn to the love He
deserves. It comes indeed into the heart with submission and faith.
5. Think of the danger of continued revolt; of the wrongfulness of
revolt; of the blessedness of return.--_J. Rawlinson._
I. THE FIRE. "Whose _fire_ is in Zion." Without the sacred fire there
would have been no burnt-offering, no clouds of incense; and
therefore God commanded that it should be kept ever burning. In this
sense, the fire is the emblem of the life Divine, the Holy Spirit's
work. May it be for ever burning! Where it burns strongly, what
clouds of incense of praise and prayer ascend to heaven!
277
_Conclusion._ The trials of God's people tend (1) To exercise and
develop their spiritual excellence; (2.) To demonstrate the Divine
love and faithfulness; (3.) To prepare them for the enjoyment of
Himself at last.[2]--_Joseph Irons: Thursday Penny Pulpit,_ vol. vii.
109-120.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Upon one occasion, like the prophet Jeremiah, I visited the
potter's house. I admired the ingenuity and the beauty of
his work on the wheels. But after a little while, I found
there was really no reliance to be put on the results of
his labour and ingenuity. When put into the furnace, some
of the vessels were marred and rendered good for nothing;
they cracked and went to pieces. Did not the potter shape
them aright? Did he not make them of the same clay? Did he
not take the same pains with them? Then what was the
defect? They would not stand fire.--_Irons._
These figures all coincide in setting forth one great and blessed
truth--the truth that _in Christ there is suitable and complete
relief under every circumstance of distress:_ in distress
arising--1. from _temporal sufferings;_ 2. from _conviction of sin;_
3. from _strong temptation;_ 4. from the _near approach of
death._--_John Watt, B.D.: Sermons,_ pp. 92-108.
Jesus Christ--I. The refuge from all dangers; II. The fruition of all
desires; III. The rest and refreshment in all trials.--_A. Maclaren,
B.A.: Sermons, Third Series,_ p. 135.
278
of a great rock in a weary land."+[2] Such a retreat does our
Redeemer afford to those who are fainting under the labours and
discouragements of this wearisome life (Isa. 1-4, Jer. xxxi. 25).
1. Let us thank God for such a Saviour--the very Saviour we need.
2. Let us abide in Him--we always need Him.--_E. Griffin, D.D.:
Fifty-nine Plain Practical Sermons,_ pp. 261-270.
279
human necessities, this declaration has been still more full of
consolation to generation after generation down to our own day.+ It
has taught men to whom to flee in their distresses, and fleeing to
Him they have found that it was with no vain hope that it had cheered
them. When you think what it has been to men ever since it was
uttered, can you help looking upon it with love?
II. OF THIS INSTRUMENT OF CONSOLATION ALL MEN HAVE NEED. There are
some portions of Scripture which have only a limited interest,
because they are for special classes (_e.g.,_ kings, subjects,
parents, children, &c.); but this is a portion for every one. The
needs of which it speaks will be felt by all men; and all men, at
some time or other, will long for the blessings which it promises.
Hence--+1. It should be stored up in the memory of the young.+[4]
+2. The aged should count it one of their chief treasures.+[5]
IV. Every truth is a call to duty. TO WHAT DUTIES DOES OUR TEXT CALL
US? If we have had a personal experience of the truth of its
declarations, it says--1. PRAISE GOD. Would not a storm-driven
traveller give thanks for "a covert," the thirst-consumed for "rivers
of water," the faint and weary for "the shadow of a great rock?" Let
us remember what Christ has been to us, and give "thanks unto God for
His unspeakable gift!" 2. TAKE COURAGE. Usually as years increase
troubles multiply: but what Christ has been to you in the past, He
will be in the future--an all-sufficient Saviour! 3. To those who
have not yet had a personal experience of the truth of its
declarations, my text says, COME TO JESUS. Its promises are
invitations. Is not a well of water in itself an invitation to a
thirsty man? You need all that the text promises; and in the
experience of millions of men living _now,_ you have abundant
evidence that its promises are worthy of your trust. Familiarise
yourself with the "hiding-place" _before_ the tempests of life burst
upon you, that in the day of storm you may know whither to flee.
Blessed are they who have made the Man of whom our text speaks their
friend. According to His word (Matt. xxviii.), He is with them
"always," "as a hiding-place from the wind, and a covert from the
280
tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great
rock in a weary land."
FOOTNOTES:
[1] We arose with the sun, and went out to saddle our
dromedaries, when we found to our great surprise that their
heads were buried in the sand; and it was not possible for
us to draw them out. We called the Bedouins of the tribe to
our aid, who informed us that the instinct of the camels
led them to conceal their heads thus, in order to escape
the simoom; that their doing so was an infallible presage
of that terrible tempest of the desert, which would not be
long in breaking loose; and that we could not proceed on
the journey without meeting a certain death. The camels,
who perceive the approach of this fearful storm two or
three hours before it bursts, turn themselves to the side
opposed to the wind, and dig into the sand. It is
impossible to make them stir from that position either to
eat or drink during the whole tempest, were it to last for
several days. Providence has endowed them with this
instinct of preservation, which never deceives them. When
we learned with what we were threatened, we partook the
general consternation, and hastened to take all the
precautions which they pointed out to us. It is not
sufficient to put the horses under shelter; it is requisite
also to cover their heads and stop up their ears, otherwise
they will be suffocated by the whirlwinds of fine
impalpable sand, which the storm sweeps furiously before
it. The men collect under their tents, block up the
crevices with the greatest care, and provide a supply of
water, which they keep within reach; they then lie down on
the ground, their heads covered with the mashlas, and thus
remain all the time that the tornado continues.
The camp was thrown into the greatest bustle, each bent on
providing safety for his cattle, and afterwards withdrawing
precipitately under his tent. We had scarcely got our
beautiful Negde mares under cover ere the tempest burst.
Impetuous blasts of wind buried clouds of red and burning
sand in eddies, and overthrew all upon whom their fury
fell; or, heaping up hills, they buried all that had
strength to resist being carried away. If, at this period,
any part of the body be exposed, the flesh is scorched as
if a hot iron had touched it. The water, which was intended
to cool us, began to boil, and the temperature of the tent
exceeded that of a Turkish bath. The hurricane blew in all
its fury for six hours, and gradually subsided during six
more; an hour longer, and I believe we had all been
stifled. When we ventured to leave the tents, a frightful
spectacle presented itself; five children, two women, and a
man were lying dead on the still burning sand, and several
Bedouins had their faces blackened and entirely calcined,
as if by a blast from a fiery furnace. When the wind of the
simoom strikes an unfortunate wretch on the head, the blood
gushes in streams from his mouth and nostrils, his face
281
swells, becomes black, and he shortly dies of
suffocation.--_Lamartine: Travels in the East,_ p. 213.
[2] I was reading, a day or two ago, one of our last books of
travels in the wilderness of the Exodus, in which the
writer told how, after toiling for hours under a scorching
sun, over the hot white marly flat, seeing nothing but a
beetle or two on the way, and finding no shelter anywhere
from the pitiless beating of the sunshine, the three
travellers came at last to a little Retem bush only a few
feet high, and flung themselves down and tried to hide at
least their heads from those 'sunbeams like swords,' even
beneath its ragged shade. And my text tells of a great
rock, with blue dimness in its shadow, with haply a fern or
two in the moist places of its crevices, where there is
rest and a man can lie down and be cool, while all outside
is burning sun, and burning sand, and dancing mirage.--_A.
Maclaren._
282
Sooner than you think you will find yourself in some dark
tunnel of trial. It will be too late _then_ to think of
furnishing yourself with them. Blessed are those then in
whom they are brightly shining!
[6] One day--one of the most beautiful and happy days I have
ever known--I and some friends visited the Valley of Rocks,
at Lynton, in North Devon. We had selected for our
dining-place the shaded side of one of the largest of the
rocks which have made that valley famous. Just as we were
finishing our repast, an aged gentleman approached us, and
asked to be permitted to share our resting-place. "I should
not have intruded upon you," he said, "but I am very
weary." Instantly my text recurred to my memory, and I saw
somewhat of its power and beauty: "As the shadow of a great
rock in a weary land." In such a land, on such a day, how
welcome is the sight of a great rock! How sweet and
refreshing to rest in its cooling shade! Amid the toils and
troubles of life we often need rest and refreshment. _Have
you found them in Christ?_ Are the declarations of our text
true?
283
tempest, shall _he_ be our refuge? Shall God's own Word command us to
leave the living Fountain, and betake ourselves in our necessities to
the broken cisterns of earth? Strange inconsistency, astonishing
contradiction to every other portion of God's Word? But who is this
Man? He of whom it is also written (Zech. xiii. 7; Phil. ii. 6); and
who is thus spoken of by the Spirit of God Himself, when predicting
the event of this day (Isa. ix. 6). It is the Lord Jesus Christ,
then, who reveals Himself in the words before us under two striking
similitudes; the first of which regards His people's safety, and the
second their consolations.
+I. As regards their safety:+ "hiding place from the wind, covert
from the tempest." Picture to yourself one of those scenes which
Eastern travellers paint, when they describe the passage of a caravan
across some dreary desert, where, throughout the long day's journey,
there is no house, no rock, no tree to afford a moment's shade or
shelter. The wind suddenly rises, the lightning glares, and in the
distance are beheld gigantic columns of sand, raised and kept
together in such vast masses by the whirlwind that drives them
towards the poor bewildered travellers, who behold in them at once
their destruction and their grave. In vain do they attempt to fly; as
vain were all thoughts of resistance. Before the shortest prayer is
finished, that multitude that was just now full of life and
animation, is hushed in silence; every heart has ceased to beat; the
simoom of the desert has passed over them, and the place they
occupied is scarcely to be distinguished from the surrounding plain.
This is no flight of the imagination, but a simple statement of a
fact of not unfrequent occurrence. Now imagine in such a scene with
what feelings these alarmed and flying travellers would greet "a
hiding-place" and "a covert." If a rock of adamant, a barrier which
neither sand, nor wind, nor tempest could beat down or overleap,
should suddenly spring up between them and those swiftly advancing
columns of death, what would be their feelings of joy, their thoughts
of gratitude, their language of praise! Who can imagine the heartfelt
cry of thanksgiving to God which would arise from that vast multitude
at so complete, so merciful, so unhoped-for a deliverance? With such
feelings should we "behold the Man" of whom I speak to-day. We stood
in as great a danger. Our sins had raised a tempest of the wrath of
God, against which the whole created host of heaven would in vain
have attempted to erect a barrier. But our Lord has wrought a
deliverance for us as much needed, as unexpected, as complete. He has
interposed between us and the mighty "wind," the appalling "tempest,"
which justly threatened our destruction. Let us who have found
shelter in Christ rejoice in Him, and be glad this day because of the
quietness we enjoy. Let those who are still outside the great
"Hiding-Place," the wondrous "Covert" which God's mercy has provided,
remember that an unapplied Saviour is no Saviour. Their peril has
been in no sense lessened by His advent. In the gladness of this day
they can have no share.
284
trials, anxieties, or distresses of the world. But it is not enough
that the river is running at your feet; you must know it is there,
you must drink of its waters, or they will not assuage your thirst.
In Hagar sitting down in utter hopelessness and helplessness, when
near her there was an abundant supply of water for herself and her
child (Gen. xxi. 15-19), we have an emblem of too many distressed and
sorrowful Christians. "_Rivers_ of water" are flowing past you:
arise, and drink! (Rev. xxii. 17). 2. _God's people are often faint
and weary as they pursue their earthly pilgrimage._ But during every
stage of it they may "renew their strength," and so be enabled to
persevere until at length "they stand in Zion before God," for Christ
is "as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land." Don't be
satisfied with just coming _within the range of the shadow_ of the
Rock; there are in the Rock recesses where you may find a complete
shelter and a sweeter rest. Enter into them. Cultivate a closer
fellowship with Christ. So in every stage of your journey you shall
have not only strength, but joy (Isaiah xxxv. 10).--_H. Blunt, A.M.:
Posthumous Sermons,_ pp. 23-42.
285
"covert" of the Almighty wings. None but Christ is able to give the
soul confidence in such days and hours.
The surface sense of this passage may refer to Hezekiah and to other
good kings who were a means of great blessing to the declining
kingdom of Judah; but its declarations are too full of meaning to be
applied solely or primarily to any mere man. They are never fully
understood until they are applied to Christ, the true King of
righteousness, who confers the highest blessings upon His people. In
Him there is a fulness and variety of blessing such as the varied
metaphors of this passage fail to set forth. He is the true Man of
whom Isaiah speaks; the man in whom the fulness of the Godhead dwells
bodily, and who therefore can be, and is, "as rivers of water in a
dry place."
286
individuals may claim peculiar rights in rivers, all creatures drink
of them freely, the dog as well as the swan. So may all, however
vile, partake of the grace that is in Christ. 5. _Constancy_ of
blessing. Pools and cisterns dry up, but the river goes on for ever.
So it is with Jesus; the grace to pardon and the power to heal are
not spasmodic powers in Him, they abide in Him unabated for evermore.
III. PRACTICAL LESSONS. 1. _See the goings out of God's heart to man,
and man's way of communing with God._ God's heart is an infinite
ocean of goodness, and it flows forth to us through Jesus Christ, not
in streams and driblets, but in rivers of grace and mercy. These
streams we cannot purchase or merit, we have only to receive them;
when we drink of the stream, we partake of God. 2. _See what a misery
it is that men should be perishing and dying of soul thirst when
there are these rivers so near._ Some have never heard of them;
therefore help to the utmost the Missionary Society. Others who have
heard of them are smitten with a strange insanity that leads them to
turn away from them. 3. _Let us learn where, if we are suffering from
spiritual drought and barrenness, the blame lies._ It cannot lie in
Christ. 4. _If Christ is ready to be to us as rivers,_ drink of Him,
all of you.[2] Live near Him. Live in Him.[3]--_C. H. Spurgeon:
Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit,_ No. 1243.
FOOTNOTES:
287
them; and if they continue as they are they will be lost. A
man may be in a boat on a river and yet die of thirst if he
refuses to drink; and so you may be carried along and
excited by a revival, but unless you receive the Lord Jesus
into your soul by faith, you will perish after
all.--_Spurgeon._
COMFORT IN CHRIST.
+I. To the children of God this world is often "a weary land."+
1. _Because of the labours they have to undergo._ This is a laborious
world (Eccles. i. 8). Employment is in itself a blessing; it was
provided for man in Eden; but every day the sun sets upon millions
who are faint and weary, who are overwrought, and for whom there will
be no sufficient rest until they lie down in the grave. To God's
children it is a special cause of weariness that they are compelled
to devote so much time in labouring for "the meat which perisheth,"
and that they have so little time for meditation and for communion
with God. 2. _Because of the troubles to which they are exposed_ (Job
v. 7). Troubles attend every stage and condition of life. They are
national, domestic, personal. The pains and evils of life commonly
increase as its length is protracted. And there is nothing more
wearisome than troubles. Many who can endure labour cannot endure
trouble. This makes the heart stoop, and weakens the mind as well as
the body. A troublesome world must be a wearisome world. 3. _Because
of the perplexities by which they are harassed._ This is a dark
world. What is past, what is present, as well as what is to come,
lies involved in darkness. Life is full of mystery. Strange and
unexpected events are constantly happening, which disappoint the
288
hopes and frustrate the designs of the wisest. Providence often
baffles the interpretation and tries the faith even of the most
devout. Wickedness is often triumphant, and virtue trampled under
foot. Good men are often tired of living in a world which subjects
them to continual anxiety and suspense. 4. _Because of the sin by
which they are surrounded._ The moral atmosphere in which they live
is uncongenial. The practices and principles with which they are
daily brought into contact fill them with disgust, with indignation,
and with grief (2 Pet. ii. 7, 8; Ps. cxix. 139, 156, 158; Acts
xvii. 16; Ezek. ix. 4).
+II. Whensoever God's children are weary of the world, they may find
comfort in Christ.+ They may always find comfort. 1. _In the
compassion of Christ._ He knows what it is to be faint and weary. He
knows the heart of a pilgrim and stranger. And He has the tenderest
compassion for His friends in distress or want. He is as pitiful
to-day as He was when He tabernacled on earth. He feels all that His
followers feel (Acts ix. 2; Heb. iv. 14-16). 2. _In the intercession
of Christ._ As He prayed for Peter (Luke xii. 32) and for all His
disciples before His crucifixion (John xvii.), so He still makes
intercession for His followers according to their necessities. And
His intercession is always prevalent (John xi. 42). 3. _In the
strength of Christ._ Weakness is the cause of weariness, and the
weary may always find the strength they want in Christ (Phil. iv. 13;
2 Cor. xii. 7-10). 4. _In the government of Christ._ He has promised
to give them peace even in this world (John xiv. 27; xvi. 33; xiv. 2,
3). These are great and precious promises, because they are sure
promises.
289
(Phil. iv. 6, 7).--_Dr. Emmons: Works,_ vol. iii. 352-365.
CHRISTIAN LIBERALITY.
This prophecy relates to the time when the kingdom of Judah would
relinquish its foolish dependence on Egypt. The king would reign in
righteousness. Men and things would be called by their true names.
Selfish injustice to the poor would contrast with considerate
helpfulness. When generosity begins to be exercised on a large scale,
the standard is raised. The raising of the standard tends to the
general enlargement of the scale of benevolence.
290
voluntary principle is alone recognised as the principle of
liberality. And voluntaryism means willinghood (2 Cor. viii. 12).
+I. Who are the careless ones in our own day?+ 1. _Those who neglect
the Bible._ Its main object is to arouse the attention of sinners.
Claims and deserves attention. That man is indifferent to the welfare
of his country who never examines the principles of its constitution,
the character of its laws, &c. So he who neglects the Bible can never
be regarded as a serious man. He is careless on the most momentous of
291
all subjects. 2. _Those who neglect prayer._ All who have any proper
feeling towards God must regard this as a solemn duty. Nature teaches
its necessity and importance, the Scriptures enjoin it with great
earnestness (Luke xviii. 1; 1 Thess. v. 17). 3. _Those who neglect
the Sabbath._ This "made for man," appointed for his convenience and
spiritual good. An institution of unspeakable importance as regards
eternity--in fact, no religion without it. 4. _Those who neglect the
institutions of the sanctuary._ Those anxious to know "what they must
do to be saved" always prize the preaching of the Gospel. On the
other hand, as the interest in religion declines, so will be our
indifference to the means of grace. See you one who makes his
attendance on God's house a matter of convenience, who avails himself
of any trifling excuse to be absent, &c., there is a careless one. So
also with those who are so absorbed in the pursuits of this life, so
as to have neither leisure nor disposition to attend the place of
prayer. 5. In a word, those are careless ones _who live in
impenitence and unbelief._ Repentance and faith in Christ. The great
interest of the soul cannot be secured without these, and no man can
be said to take heed to the things that belong to his peace, without
obeying Christ's commands concerning them.
+II. Why such ought to be troubled.+ Those who are indifferent are
disposed to remain so--carelessness perpetuates itself. Still there
are reasons why such should be troubled. 1. _The fact that you are
careless is a ground of alarm._ Carelessness, an evidence of our
ignorance of the true condition of the soul in the sight of God.
Something truly frightful in false security where the danger is real
and great. With such this fancied security is the most alarming
symptom. The sinner suffering from a disease which no human skill can
remove--in danger of eternal death. How fearful then the
indifference, how appalling the apathy of such! 2. _This indifference
indicates a state of mind in which every blessing will be abused, and
every warning neglected._ A habit of body that would render
everything received for nourishment or for medicine useless would be
dreadful; what, then, of that moral disease which perverts every gift
and makes the diversified means which God employs accomplish nothing
for our good? 3. _You ought to be troubled when you reflect what it
is you are careless about,_ viz., your salvation. The man who is
indifferent about his health, or regardless of his temporal interest,
is unwise; what, then, of one who hazards the salvation of his soul
by neglect? Salvation is offered in Christ--indifference is unbelief.
Why so eager after the acquisition of wealth, and indifferent about
the true riches? 4. Another cause of alarm _is the exposure of your
present position._ Neglect of the Gospel ensures destruction (Heb.
ii. 3). This apathy a crime for which no amiableness or morality can
atone. 5. _No more powerful means will be employed to awaken you to
the concerns of your soul._ God disclaims any responsibility for your
loss (Isa. v. 4; Matt. xxiii. 37). Ministers have preached, Christian
friends have entreated, the Holy Spirit has been sent down, and still
you are careless. The very heathen will rise up in judgment. If one
rising from the dead would not make those hear who had Moses and the
prophets, what shall awaken those who have Christ and the apostles?
6. _This carelessness is induced, it is not natural._ A long process
of hardening the heart is gone through before such a state of apathy
is reached. But once ours, it has all the force of habit, and is not
easily broken up (Matt. xi. 21). This indifference is _voluntary_
(Acts xxiv. 25). Felix _might_ have taken a different course. No iron
292
necessity binds men to the fatal course they take, but a perverse
will and an unbelieving heart. 7. _This carelessness is a state of
mind that provokes God to withdraw His Spirit._ Deeply criminal. No
apathy in heaven, there ought to be none on earth. Must it not offend
God, to say that He has failed to reveal Himself in a way to interest
His creatures? And yet men can be interested in a novel while the
Gospel is neglected. Under the old dispensation He said, "My people
would not hearken to My voice, so I gave them up to their hearts'
lust." What of those who then reject the Son? 8. _This indifference
will ultimately be broken up, and will aggravate condemnation a
thousandfold._ Though retribution sleep, it must come and will not
tarry. The Jews were spared forty years after the Saviour had wept
over their doomed city. So with the sinner; there comes a time when
he can be indifferent no longer; the realities of judgment and
eternity produce a conviction which will go on deepening for ever.
How it will embitter the soul then to dwell upon this carelessness of
the past. Recollection itself a source of misery (Luke xvi. 25). What
words can express the anguish of a soul thus reminded of lost
opportunities, &c.
Throw off this lethargy. From this moment seek the Lord with your
whole heart, and call upon Him while He is near. Why run the
desperate hazard of having to do all this on a dying bed?--_Mark
Tucker, D.D.: National Preacher,_ vol. vii. p. 138.
FOOTNOTES:
Though the immediate bearing of these words is upon the state and
prospects of the Jewish people, yet they may be considered as
assigning the reason why the nations of the earth continue in so
wretched a state, with respect to things spiritual and Divine, as
they now exhibit; and as directing our expectations, and regulating
our confidence, respecting the final termination of this state of
things. The momentous truth taught in this passage is, that _the
293
ultimate success of missions depends upon the communication of the
Spirit._
II. There are two reasons why we are in danger of forgetting our
dependence on the Spirit of God. 1. We cannot arrange the time and
manner in which the Divine agency will be exerted; and we are called
upon to exert ourselves in much the same way as though there were no
such doctrine existing in our creed, and no such expectation existing
in our minds. Consequently, even while strenuously attending to our
duty, we are very apt to lose sight of that mysterious Divine agency
on which the success of all our efforts must depend, and to direct
our attention exclusively to the apparatus we are setting in motion.
2. This is an invisible power, and is manifest to us only in its
effects; whereas our own actions and plans are objects of distinct
observation. It is one thing to believe that there is an agency of
the Spirit, and quite another thing to have a deep and practical
persuasion of it, and to regulate all our actions and expectations in
dependence on it.
III. Some practical results which should follow from our belief that
the success of missions depends on the agency of the Divine Spirit.
1. In attempting the work of the evangelisation of the heathen, we
ought to renounce all expectations of success founded on our own
strength or resources. 2. In connection with every attempt for the
conversion of the heathen, there should be earnest prayer. In every
period of the world, a spirit of prayer for this great object has
been the precursor of real success. 3. In the manner in which we
prosecute this work, we should be exceedingly careful not to grieve
the Spirit of God. There must be nothing in our conduct or temper
opposed to the simplicity and purity of the Christian dispensation.
Our mission must not be made the instrument of ostentation and
294
gratification, or of amusing the public by a display of gaudy
eloquence. All rivalry between different societies that has not for
its end the knowledge and service of God, is offensive in His sight.
Let us guard against the least disposition to depreciate or hide in
silence the success of others; which shall lead us to look coolly on
the most splendid acts of missionary labour, unless they emanate from
ourselves, or bring honour to our party. 4. Our dependence for the
men and the means wherewith to carry on this great work, must rest
absolutely and exclusively on God. Whensoever He puts forth the
influence of His Spirit, some of His servants will devote themselves
to the work, and others of them will gladly contribute to it of their
wealth (Isa. lx. 5-7). 5. The doctrine of the text teaches us to
regulate our confidence with respect to the success of every
particular mission, at the same time that it animates that confidence
in regard to the final success of the success itself. 6. If success
in any field of effort does not reward our toil, instead of charging
God with any arbitrarily withholding of the help of His Spirit, let
us examine the instruments wherewith we are endeavouring to effect so
great and important a charge, and see if there be not in them
something unworthy of the enterprise, and keeps back the needed
blessing. 7. However success may seem to delay, let us acquiesce,
without repining, in the dispensations of God; and let us point our
views forward to a future period, that will certainly come, when the
Spirit will be poured out from on high, and when the Redeemer will
take to Him His great power, and reign universally in the hearts of
men.--_Robert Hall: Works,_ vol. vi. pp. 158-180.
But what is to secure this? Our hope hangs on one thing--the promise
of the Spirit. Every past conquest has been the effect of union and
communion with the Comforter; and our own ability for the enterprises
of the future must be derived from the same source. The chapter
begins with a cheering account of the approach of a brighter day
following a season of gloom and depression, which is to be terminated
finally and only by the pouring out of the Spirit from on high. So
always. Large as are our resources, we were never more dependent on
help from heaven than now. Without special Divine aid we can do
nothing.
I. The Spirit of God must be with us, _or we shall not use the right
means for converting the world._ Our work is a vast one, but we are
not left in uncertainty as to the way in which it is to be
accomplished. The Gospel made for man. Sending the knowledge of
Christ abroad through the nations is the appointed method of saving
men. 1. More faith is needed in God's instrumentality. The cause may
seem unequal to the effect, but a Divine unseen agency accompanies
it, and difficulties must pass away. 2. No part of our business to
make experiments for the relief of human woe or guilt; or dig
channels for our compassion other than those in which the Saviour's
flowed. Calvary our sole expedient, &c. 3. We need to keep to the
means by which all this is accomplished without deviation or
faltering. A downward tendency in the best of men, even when engaged
295
in the holiest of work, which nothing but a constantly exerted
influence from God can effectually counteract. Charters,
subscriptions, pledges will not do it. 4. Must not lay our strength
out on extraneous matter. Our true service only performed while
relying on Divine aid.
II. Unless the Holy Spirit be with us, _we shall never prosecute our
work with proper energy._ An enterprise like ours cannot be expected
to flourish unless it takes fast hold on the hearts and sympathies of
its friends. It is a cause of too much import to be carried on
lukewarmly. One of the main purposes of the Church, her own
self-extension. How shall we get up to this state of feeling, this
standard of action? Never! until we have more of the Spirit of God.
III. That the Spirit must be given us, _or we shall never see our
efforts crowned with success._ Something in a simple dependence on
Divine help which imparts to our labours a character so earnest and
decided as betokens a favourable result. We work best ourselves when
we feel that God is working in us and by us. Nothing so nerves the
arm and strengthens the heart as confidence in Him. So Luther,
Whitfield, Paul wrought. Nothing else will keep zeal alive in the
Church.
Let it be supposed that the invader and the conqueror have been in
our land. Cultivation has disappeared, impoverishment and neglect
reign over its once fertile and well-cared-for fields. The city,
formerly the centre of life and activity, depopulated and desolated.
Its factories dilapidated, its exchange a ruin, its streets overgrown
with grass. Such was the ruin the prophet saw about to befall his
country. How long would it continue? Until God should pour His Spirit
upon the people, so as to turn them from their iniquities. When the
moral scene changed, the material scene would also. Prosperity would
return. The city would again be populated; the country resume its
beauty and fertility; the wilderness would be a fruitful field, and
the fruitful field be counted for a forest.
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are presented in the text; the necessity, the certainty, and the
condition of the world's salvation.
III. ITS CONDITION. The moral desolation will continue until the
Spirit be poured upon us from on high. The Gospel only saves as the
Spirit makes it efficacious. The human heart and will are opposed to
the entrance of the truth. Not only evidence but influence is
required. It is essentially a spiritual work, and only the Holy
Spirit is equal to it. It is a work in hearts opposed to God, and His
power can alone produce the willingness which is the very essence of
the saving change. Every time we pray for the conversion of sinners
and for the coming of God's kingdom, we practically acknowledge the
necessity of the Spirit's work. The universal necessity is the
necessity of the individual case. The world's conversion is pictured
out in the conversion of every sinner. The power of the Spirit is the
security for the fulfilment of the Word (Joel ii. 28-32; Acts
ii. 17-21; Ezek. xxxvii. 1-14; John iii. 6-8; 1 Cor. ii. 4, 5,
iii. 6, 7).
From the text, then, we may learn two or three lessons relative to
the work of Christ's Church in the world.
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1. That all such work should be conducted in humble dependence on the
Holy Spirit. Such dependence does not supersede labour, any more than
the consciousness that the sun and the air and other mysterious
influences of nature are necessary, supersedes the husbandman's
labour.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Brainerd, Schwartz, and Eliot, and those who in every age
have had the most success in turning men to righteousness,
have been the first to declare that they were nothing.
They, of all men, most ardently implored, and most entirely
depended upon, the agency we are now contemplating; and
their success appears to have been more in proportion to
their earnest solicitude in seeking this blessing, than to
any other cause.--_Hall._
[2] Look at the history of those who have been the most
successful missionaries to the heathen, and see whether you
cannot trace certain results for which you cannot account
on any other hypothesis than that most momentous one of a
Divine influence, at certain periods, accompanying their
labours. In the history of Brainerd and Eliot, and others,
you perceive that for a considerable time there seem to
have been the same efforts employed, the same doctrines
taught, the same earnest and zealous prayers, and the same
watchfulness over their own hearts, and yet no saving
effect produced on others: all still remained barren; no
desirable movement of the heart was excited; and this
continued for a long period. Such was the state of things
when Brainerd first undertook the mission to the Indians;
but, after a considerable time, while he was propounding
only the same doctrines, and using only the same means, the
Spirit of God put forth its energy, and Divine
communication was imparted at one season "like a rushing,
mighty wind," at others "like the dew and the rain from
298
heaven," softening and thus opening the heart which had
resisted the entrance of sacred truth, and causing the tear
of genuine penitence to steal down the cheek. Nobody could
doubt that there was some one greater than a missionary
there;--that the Spirit of God had changed the barren soil
to sacred ground, and had wetted it, "like Gideon's fleece,
with the dews of heaven." And so it is, my brethren, that
every person who has had any long acquaintance with the
Christian ministry, is aware that there are certain periods
of barrenness and certain periods for bearing fruit. The
same talents, whether great or small, may be brought into
action; but there shall be some seasons in which efforts,
in no way special, shall be crowned with extraordinary
success.--_Hall._
This chapter contains three distinct and important topics: the great
and inestimable blessings resulting from the reign of Christ; a
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denunciation of the Divine judgments on an ungrateful and rebellious
people, and especially on the supine and careless women of Judea; and
an assurance of more auspicious days.
I. The mind of man resembles a moral wilderness. This was not the
case originally. In paradise all was moral attraction and glory. But,
in consequence of man's apostasy from God, his powers have been
withered, and his Divine beauty has been defaced. The mind of man is
a moral wilderness--1. As it is a seat of sterility and desolation.
2. As, till it is transformed, it is of little use, because its best
powers are not consecrated to God. 3. As it is the soil where noxious
and destructive plants exist and flourish.
II. The means appointed for the cultivation of the mind of man are to
be diligently employed, because, 1. These means are unfolded to us in
the Gospel. 2. God requires us to employ them. 3. The Divine sanction
and encouragement have been given to those who have diligently used
them (H. E. I., 3424-3465).
III. The best and most powerful means will be unavailing without the
agency and influence of the Spirit.
IV. But with the influence of the Holy Spirit, a great moral
transformation will be effected. 1. There will be a scene of
cultivation; the wilderness will be converted into a fruitful field;
enclosed, cleansed, irrigated, carefully tilled; presenting a
beautiful appearance to the eye, and refreshed with the dews and
rains of heaven. 2. There will be a scene of fertility; as a field,
it will be rich in the variety and luxuriance of its produce; all the
graces of the Holy Spirit will be fully and beautifully exemplified.
3. There will be a scene of grandeur. The fruitful field will be
counted for a forest. A fine forest is a majestic and striking
feature in a landscape. There is dignity, magnitude, elevation; all
these moral characteristics are found in the mind on which the Spirit
has been poured out. The saints will grow in grace, and increase with
all the increase of God.
300
field (xi. 6-9). Again, in other places, as in the text and the
adjoining verses, the description puts on more of a moral and
spiritual character, and declares how God will be glorified in the
hearts and lives of men (vers. 15-17). On reading these descriptions
of a time when the world is to be full of peace and blessedness, we
can hardly help wishing we were in such a world. But that time is not
yet come. Many places may we find, where all seem to be bent on
hurting and destroying one another. But the sun himself, with his
all-piercing eye, though he beholds every dwelling of man, cannot see
a single village which is the abode of peace and quietness and
assurance for ever. Nor has he in all his journeys ever seen such a
state of things. Did the prophet, then, see falsely? Was the vision
which he saw a lying vision? Not so. If the "work," the effect, is
wanting, it is that the cause is wanting. Did righteousness prevail
upon the earth, there peace would also prevail. Wherever we find
anything like true righteousness, and according to the degree of the
likeness, we also find peace. Whatsoever is done to promote
righteousness will also promote peace.
Here some may object, that righteousness, with its sternness and
terrors, does not seem to be, of all virtues and graces, the one best
fitted to be the parent of peace. Rather, they may say, is peace the
work of mercy; for that mercy alone can produce peace, at least in
sinners; wherefore we are wont to pray God to grant us _pardon and
peace._ This is true. Unless mercy be shown to sinners, they can
never enjoy peace. Yet, unless mercy go along with righteousness,
mercy cannot produce peace. If mercy allowed the sinners to abide in
their sins, they would still be under the sentence which declares
that there is no peace to the wicked.[1] Christ will never give peace
alone. He will only give it along with righteousness,--first
righteousness and then peace. Unless He had been the Lord our
Righteousness, He could not have been the Prince of Peace. Therefore
they who will not receive His righteousness, cannot receive His
peace. To them He brings no peace, but a sword.
But although the course of this world has never been answerable to
the magnificent visions of ancient prophecy, still in some measure
the prophecies have been fulfilled. To the godly, to all who believe
in Christ and love Him, to all who desire to serve and obey Him, He
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has indeed brought peace; and even amid the endless tumults and
troubles and jarrings of the world, they feel that He has done so.
They feel that He has set them at peace with God, by making them
partakers of that righteousness, of which peace is the work.
Moreover, there is hardly one of our Lord's commandments which does
not tend, in proportion as we obey it, to fill our hearts with peace,
which does not dry up one source or another of disquieting, harassing
care.[2]
"For the wicked," God has said, "there is no peace." But light is
sown for the righteous, the light of joy and peace. The true disciple
of Christ, he who has sought to be clothed in Christ's righteousness,
will always enjoy peace, even here on earth. He will enjoy it in
every condition of life. In riches, in poverty, in health, in
sickness, in every outward circumstance of life, in the hour of
death, the godly, and they alone, enjoy peace: in the day of judgment
they, and they alone, will enjoy peace. And the peace they will have
enjoyed till then will only have been a poor faint foretaste of the
peace into which they will then enter, of the peace of God, which
passeth all understanding, and in the full enjoyment of which they
will live thenceforward through eternity.--_Julius Charles Hare,
M.A.: Sermons Preacht in Herstmonceux Church,_ pp. 325-346.
The Bible is the revelation of a gracious remedy for evil. Points out
rightful claims of the Divine government. Charges the human race with
disregard of these claims. Man is guilty of unrighteousness. There is
universal sin. It is in man's nature. It constitutes a moral
disqualification for return. God's remedial plan comprehends the
provision of pardoning mercy, and of regenerating mercy. The former
is found in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, which constitutes a
righteous ground on which the penal consequences of sin may be
remitted. The latter, in this no less wonderful work of the Holy
Spirit by which the sinner's disposition undergoes a change that
makes him a new creature in Christ Jesus. Let it be supposed that
this is the universal experience: instead of unrighteousness, the
righteousness that springs from such contact with Christ by His
Spirit universally prevails. It is a change of which we do not
despair. We are taught to expect it. Thus the text will be
universally fulfilled.
I. INTERNATIONALLY.
One of the most awful facts of human history is the extent to which
war has marked its track. In the causes of all wars unrighteousness
is found. But if the supposition we have made were a reality, wars
would become impossible. Nations and their rulers would repress the
desire to possess themselves of what is not their own. If different
interests induced different opinions between them wise and righteous
arbitration would prevent their imbruing their hands in each other's
blood. There would be "quietness and security for ever" (Isa. ii. 4,
302
xi. 6-9).
II. SOCIALLY.
2. Think of the family. In the home all exhibit their true selves.
Selfishness and injustice may render it a place of incessant strife.
But our Christian homes, even where allowance has been made for
infirmities and peculiarities, are usually pervaded by an atmosphere
of peace and love. The influences that surround them produce mutual
forbearance and studiousness of others, restrain the harder and
develop the softer passions. Just in the measure in which the
subduing influences of Christian character prevail will our homes be
secure from strife and discomfort.
III. PERSONALLY.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] We may see this in human things. When a parent does not
uphold _order and law_ in his family, there will be no
peace in that family. When a government does not uphold
order and law in a nation, there will be no peace in that
nation. They are to be upheld mercifully indeed; but still
they are to be upheld. Now in man both are imperfect, both
his righteousness and his mercy; and therefore they are
303
ever jarring. Sometimes he will lean to the one, sometimes
to the other; and so neither produces the work of peace.
But in God both are at one: neither shall hinder, neither
can give way to the other. Sooner shall the heavens split,
like a breaking wave, into foam, and melt away, than the
slightest shadow of anything that is not perfectly
righteous shall pass over the righteousness of God.
Accordingly it could only be when perfect mercy and perfect
truth met together, that righteousness and mercy could kiss
each other. And thus alone shall any ever enjoy perfect
peace, when they have received the full forgiveness of
their sins from the perfect mercy of God, and are clothed
in the perfect righteousness of Christ. Even in heaven
there can be no peace, except it be the work of
righteousness.--_Hare._
FOOTNOTES:
304
SPIRITUAL HUSBANDRY.
xxxii. 20. _Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that
send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass._
The analogy between the moral and material husbandry is very obvious
(1 Cor. iii. 6-9, ix. 10, 11; James iii. 18; Matt. xiii. 3-32). This
is the great work committed to the Church. We are to tell the story
of God's love; to make known the ruin; to proclaim the salvation; to
persuade men.
305
that they never venture anything. The latter deterrent operates
largely. It falls in with the love of ease. It is sometimes said that
the extension of popular education demands a higher class of
Sunday-school teachers, for instance, than sufficed some time ago.
Many Christians think their own education inadequate. It is a
mistake. If we cannot realise our ideal, let us do our best. Besides,
experience does not show that boys and girls are ahead of teachers of
average intelligence. And spiritual earnestness is a greater
qualification than even intellectual endowment. Capacity for
Christian work, like any other, perhaps more than any other,
increases by exercise. 3. _Interest._ He who would succeed must be
interested in his work. He who dislikes it or is indifferent to its
results will not do it well. Commonly what was undertaken merely as
an occupation, or for advantage, becomes a pleasure. The various
labours of the husbandman interest him. And this is essential to the
spiritual sower. There must be a disposition for the work. It
presents attractions only to such as are in sympathy with its great
ends. There must be a sincere belief of the truth, thorough
conviction of its necessity to man, and a benevolent desire for the
widest dissemination of its blessings. Working in this spirit, your
interest in it will constantly deepen. By the prospect of harvest you
will be animated. With the heart in the work and the love of Christ
in the heart, the sowing time will be full of spiritual interest.
4. _Diligence._ "All waters." This suggests earnestness, energy,
promptitude. Throw all your energy into this work. The husbandman
watches everything that bears on his husbandry. Business men spare no
pains in working out their arrangements. We must be equally diligent.
xxxii. 20. _Blessed are they that sow beside all waters,
&c._
I. We may use the language of the text _as a warning against the
neglect of the least opportunity of usefulness to others._ The
prophet pronounces a blessing upon those who are prepared to scatter
306
seed, not only where there is a probable prospect of a rich harvest,
but upon whatsoever soil God shall bring them in contact with. It is
not only by the waters that are sweet and sparkling that the sowing
is to be carried on, but beside the floods that seem likely to
overwhelm. We are to maintain a lively sense of our obligation to do
good unto all men as we have opportunity. Even those who are alive to
the reality of the effect which one man's life and conversation may
have upon another, nay, who are desirous to be useful to their
brethren in Christ, are under a great temptation to be ruled by
predilections for or against particular persons, and to regard some
as too proud, too insincere, too thoughtless to reward their labour.
Or their affections are so absorbed in one or two individuals, united
with them by blood or friendship, that they are rendered
comparatively indifferent about the influence they may exert upon
others. But whether we choose or no, our power for good or evil
extends over all who come within our shadow, and we should neglect no
opportunity to make it a power for good (H. E. I. 1857-65, 4596).
II. _We should not neglect any opportunity of securing benefit for
ourselves._ Every period of existence is to be spent under God. Swift
and resistless the waters of life glide on. But beside them all, the
Christian sows his good seed. Equally in youth, middle age, and in
advancing years, whatsoever his hand finds to do, he does it
heartily, as unto the Lord; and in each he reaps a harvest according
to his sowing in that which preceded it. Blessed through eternity
will he be who sowed wisely and liberally beside all the waters of
life.--_J. R. Woodford, M.A.: Sermons preached in Bristol,_ pp.
228-243.
PROVIDENCE.
307
xxxiii. 1. _Woe to thee that spoilest, &c._
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Some time before the return of the Assyrians, Hezekiah had
sought to deprecate the wrath of Sennacherib, of which
terrible rumours had reached him from Lachish. For this end
he had sent ambassadors, in the hope that they might
possibly convince the great king that no treachery was
intended, and save the country from a second invasion, or
possibly even obtain favourable terms for Lachish itself.
The embassy had found him at the city, which was soon after
taken by storm, and delivered to the tender mercies of the
soldiery. A slab from his palace at Nineveh, now in the
British Museum, shows him in state "receiving plunder of
the town of Lachish." He sits on a throne before his tent,
two arrows in one hand and his bow in the other, while
prisoners are being brought before him, an officer,
attended by a guard, stating the facts respecting them. Two
eunuchs stand with feather flaps to wave over him for
coolness, and to keep away the flies. Two horses, ready for
his use, are behind, soldiers with tall lances attending
them. The front rank of prisoners before him kneel to
implore mercy, and behind them is a long file of their
unfortunate companions. Some whose fate has already been
decided have been led a short way off and killed; others
may be spared as slaves. A chariot with two horses stands
near--perhaps that of Sennacherib--and numerous fruit-trees
over the whole slab show the fruitfulness of the country. A
strong force of horse and foot on the right of the picture
guards the king.--_Giekie._
308
xxxiii. 2. _O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for
Thee: be Thou their arm every morning, our salvation also
in the time of trouble._
I. HE CRIES TO GOD.
309
1. _His Graciousness._ The root of everything must be the Divine
disposition. He might be malevolent, unpitying, unmerciful. There
might be a cause of separation sufficient to prevent any favourable
access to Him. In the case of multitudes there is such a cause. Many
live without God, ignore Him, disregard His authority, yet in the
time of trouble imagine they may fly to Him, in the face of His Word,
which says until sin is abandoned there can be no friendship with
Him. He has provided a gracious way of reconciliation. The first step
we must take is the coming to Him through the Saviour for the mercy
that obliterates all past transgressions. In many cases the time of
trouble is sent as the means of leading us to the Saviour. To be
assured of His gracious disposition while He permits the trouble,
goes far towards the comfort of the troubled heart. He loves you
although you are under discipline. The sun shines in full splendour
although it is hidden behind a cloud. We may wait patiently for the
trouble to pass away, so long as we can confidently ask the Lord to
be gracious unto us.
2. _His Strength._ "Be Thou their arm every morning." The time of
trouble reveals our weakness. Mental energy, courage, bodily power
often succumb under the pressure of heavy trouble. We realise the
value of a strength beyond our own. It is better to pass through "the
time of trouble" with God for our arm every morning, than to be
exempt from trouble and left without Him. Paul groaned under the pain
of his thorn in the flesh and besought the Lord thrice to take it
away. But Christ's assurance, "My grace is sufficient for thee, for
my strength is made perfect in weakness," together with his
experience of its sufficiency, made him glory in his infirmity. We
need the arm of God for defence against the enemy; to lean upon for
the work that may be necessary to our extrication from trouble.
"We have waited for Thee." This ever accompanies true prayer. The
believer looks for the blessing he has asked. It implies, 1. _Faith._
That God hears. Faith has a very close relation to prayer.
2. _Expectation._ There may be degrees of confidence, but there must
be more or less of expectancy. The sailor's mother watches at the
window for the ship in which her son is coming. 3. _Patience._ Wait
God's time. Until His end is accomplished. Thus let the Church wait
for the coming of Christ, which will be full salvation.
310
May we know by experience the blessedness of knowing God in time of
trouble! Blessed is the people that is in such a case. Come and enjoy
this blessedness. Decide for the Lord Jesus Christ. The world is
insufficient. Renounce it.--_J. Rawlinson._
311
xi. 25; 1 Cor. i. 21; Col. ii. 8).
312
insubordination, and war. Were those injunctions and prohibitions
heeded, a new era of settled prosperity would begin (H. E. I.
1124-1132, 1134). 2. Christianity gives "stability of times" by the
_intellectual_ wisdom and knowledge it imparts. What a contrast in
this respect between Christian and heathen nations! Christianity
promotes intellectual strength by the grandeur of the subjects which
it brings before the mind, by the freedom it enjoins in the exercise
of every right, and by the rules it gives for the government of
nations and the guidance of individuals. And its instructions are
those of wisdom and mental strength. Moreover it enlarges the
conceptions of those who receive it, by leading them to strive to
promote the welfare of the whole world. 3. By its _sanctifying_
influence. The real causes of peace and permanent prosperity are
moral; and the very tendency of Christianity is to promote civil
order, integrity, industry, and benevolent conduct (H. E. I.
4164-4166). 4. By leading men to that obedience to the laws of God
which brings down upon them His blessing.
+I. Wisdom and knowledge both resemble and differ from each other,
and should be carefully distinguished.+ Many have great knowledge and
no wisdom. Some have wisdom and little knowledge. Wisdom is knowledge
digested and turned to account; knowledge is the food changed into
chyle and blood, and sent through the system. Knowledge is often a
mere chaotic mass; wisdom is that mass reduced to order. Knowledge
may remain inactive in the memory and understanding; wisdom is the
same turned to practice and incarnated in life. Many men possess
great knowledge, but hold it in unrighteousness; hold it along with
folly, indolence, and a host of other counterbalancing elements. The
wise man may err like others; but his general conduct and the general
course of his mind are well regulated. "Wisdom is profitable to
direct." Knowledge puffeth up; but wisdom is too calm and moderate,
too wide in its views, and too sober in its spirit to be often found
in alliance with undue self-esteem. The man of knowledge resembles
Dr. Kippis, of whom Hall said that he put so many books in his head
that his brains could not move. In a mind like Burke's, the more
books that were heaped upon the fiery and fertile brain the better;
it turned them into flame (H. E. I. 3091, 3092, 3112-3120).
313
1. _To individual character._ Knowledge is being increased at a
wonderful ratio. The learned man of a century ago would now be
thought a sciolist. But there have been many drawbacks; many
incapable of grasping all kinds of knowledge are not incapable of
pretending that they have grasped them; hence the desire of
intermeddling with all knowledge becomes pre-eminent folly, and hence
generally the preference given to man of showy attainments, glib
talk, and immodest assurance, above those of solid strength and
genuine insight. And it is the same, too often, in the Church. In
reference to this, let the words of the wise man be pondered: "With
all thy getting, get understanding." Even though our knowledge be
less wide, let it be accurate. Let us ballast knowledge with
common-sense; let our piety be manly; let our attitude be that of
calm but constant progress. And let our motto be, "The greatest of
these is charity." Such a combination of knowledge and wisdom would
give, as nothing else can, stability to individual character
(H. E. I. 3075-3078).
3. _The Church._ The whole Bible has been taken to pieces. All the
conceivable knowledge on the subject has been amassed. Now, here
comes in the place for the exercise of wisdom. Let us not leap to
conclusions; let us rather ask: "Where does wisdom dwell, and where
is the place of understanding?" There is at present a divorce between
knowledge and wisdom in spiritual matters; and seldom were manly
morality and true religion in a feebler condition than in some
quarters. There are noise and sound enough and to spare; but there is
a lack of stability,--no progress at once in piety and intelligence
(H. E. I. 3153-3155). Out of that gulf into which one-sidedness has
plunged us, all-sidedness, broad charity, and wisdom can alone
deliver us. Let us pray that these may abound, and introduce a period
when wisdom and knowledge, walking hand in hand, shall be the
stability of a better and nobler era!--_George Gilfillan: The Study
and the Pulpit, New Series,_ vol. vi. pp. 9-11.
The text contains, at the same time, a general principle, viz., _that
wisdom (or practical religion) and knowledge are the best elements of
the stability of any people._ As patriots let us carefully consider
it.
314
+I. Christianity promotes wisdom and knowledge.+
315
Religion produces the best morals; here the connection is direct and
immediate. The Gospel provides an authoritative principle--wanting
elsewhere--which responds to its moral precepts, and renders it a
matter of moral necessity to give a ready and cheerful obedience.
(3.) _Freedom._ The foundation of this is in the virtue which
Christianity creates and promotes. If the ark of God were in danger,
we might well tremble for the ark of liberty; religious degeneracy
endangers the existence of freedom. (4.) _Good order._ This follows,
as the natural and necessary consequence from the promotion of virtue
and freedom.
FOOTNOTES:
[2] The Gospel was first preached, beyond the limits of the
Jewish church, to a very refined, but to a very immoral
people. Even with what they had learned from tradition, the
wisest among them--I may not even except Socrates--could
contemplate with perfect indifference, and even practise,
the most abominable vices. The same results are found in
our own day. Wherever infidelity prevails, we witness the
decay and destruction of moral principle. We find, perhaps,
some exceptions in Christian countries; but let us see how
they are produced, and we shall find that they prove the
rule. They proceed from awe of public opinion; from a
feeling of shame with regard to personal honour and
character. But what provides that standard whose elevated
purity men thus practically acknowledge, even while they
reject its source? It is this book, it is the faithful
preaching of the Gospel, which so keeps up the standard of
public opinion that even infidels are obliged to
acknowledge its authority. Even among our peasants who have
been carefully instructed in religious truth--men without a
single ray of science--we find the practice of all the
Christian virtues; whilst, too often, we see the brightest
beams of human philosophy gliding and giving splendour to
baseness and corruption.--_Watson._
316
[3] Along with the truth of God there goes an accompanying
influence. The words that are spoken to you are "spirit and
life:" this is because the illuminations of the Holy Ghost
go along with them. We may not overlook the fallen state of
man; he is dead in trespasses and sins. The very law is
weak through the flesh; it gives direction, but it cannot
give life. The Spirit must convince man of sin and
righteousness; and if He be removed, the Agent is taken
away by whom only our moral renovation can be effected.
Now, this blessed, this mighty Spirit only works on our
hearts in connection with His own revealed truth; it is not
with human science that He works for the amendment of our
principles and tempers.--_Watson._
I. A PICTURE OF DESOLATION.
The picture has two distinct points of interest--1. _Man_ (ver. 7).
Desolation receives nowhere so strong and pathetic expression as in
the strong cries and tears of a man. The purer and nobler the man, so
much the more affecting is it to hear his despairing cry and look
upon his tears. The child cannot bear to see his father weep, because
his father is to him the ideal man. Eliakim's grief, on returning
from the interview with Rabshakeh, would be more grievous to Hezekiah
than Shebna's. Peter's repentant tears were bitter; but by the cry of
the Christ, _"Eloi! lama sabathani?"_ and His tears at the grave of
Lazarus, we are much more affected. 2. _Nature_ (vers. 8, 9). The
world is partly bright and beautiful, because noble men of God dwell
317
in it; Nature reflects and interprets man. The Assyrian invader
weighed heavily on Jewish hearts (xxxvi. 22, xxxvii. 1) and the
Jewish land.
"Now will I rise, saith the Lord," &c. 1. _God rules the world in the
interests of His people._ "Now will _I_ rise." Democrats are fond of
saying, "The Queen may reign, but she does not govern;" but the reins
of government are firmly held by the great I AM. 2. _God's
interposition comes at the right moment:_ "_Now_ will I rise." Man's
extremity is often God's opportunity; because not until his case is
desperate, will he cast himself unreservedly upon God. So man often
retards the arrival of the right moment. Meanwhile the innocent
(comparatively) suffer for the guilty; the good for the bad, the just
for the unjust. If it is the teaching of Scripture that God's people
are "the salt of the earth," preserving it from destruction, it is no
less the doctrine of the Bible that untold sorrows are to the
righteous because they dwell on the earth with the wicked. The
Isaiahs and Hezekiahs of the world feel something of the weight of
the world's sin. But there is always a "thus far and no farther."
"_Now_ will I rise, saith the Lord."
Note that where the avenging is pictured in this passage, the two
sides spoken of in the former part of it--men and nature--are summed
up in the terrible destruction of the _human._ So terrible is this,
that a burning world is lost sight of! The first picture of
desolation is as nothing to the second; and the woe is seen to reach
its intensity in this regard.--_J. Macrae Simcock._
A BLESSED LIFE.
318
spreading, fruitful tree of righteousness as this, we may always
assuredly conclude that, deep in the heart out of sight, there must
be a great, strong, living Lebanon-root of faith and love (Tit.
ii. 12). This is the secret or source of all that follows (H. E. I.
2840, 2841, 4092-4095).
319
their loins; they take courage and press on (H. E. I. 2771-2779).
This is part of the answer to the question proposed in ver. 14. The
overthrow of Asshur has been predicted; but the judgment of Asshur is
a lesson for Israel as well as for the heathens. For the sinners in
Jerusalem, there is no abiding in the presence of the Almighty. They
must repent. "God is a consuming fire." His furnace was in Jerusalem.
Therefore they inquire, "Who among us can dwell with everlasting
burnings?"
320
sympathies, duties that either look Godward or manward. It is not yet
realised; but the entertaining and striving towards it will lift him
to a loftier moral attitude than if his ideal were lower; when all
allowance has been made for human imperfection, it remains true that
the Christian is, "the highest style of man." 3. _Relationship._
Believers are closely connected with Christ, their Saviour, their
Head, their Elder Brother. They are "united to Him," "in Him." Terms
are employed that give the idea, not, indeed, of personal identity,
but of such close relationship that whatever concerns Him concerns
them, and whatever glorification He attains they are to share.
Through Him they are "the children of God," and heirs of the
celestial inheritance. Is it possible for relationship to be loftier?
4. _Companionship._ The man is known by his chosen associates. The
young man that keeps low company makes it plain that his tastes are
low. Fine natures can only enjoy congenial society. When a man
becomes a Christian, he seeks the society of Christians. And not only
are his human companionships superior to those he previously courted,
he enjoys a Divine companionship which is the supremest dignity. "Our
fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." Is it
not dwelling "on high" to have free access at all times to the King
of kings? 5. _Influence._ God has made us kings of men. The time is
coming when the principles we hold shall, by our means, pervade the
mass of humanity. Already, in a thousand quiet ways, in families, in
schools, in churches, in populations, the influence of individual
Christian men is felt to be good and gracious as far as it extends.
Christian fathers and mothers will live in the recollection of their
children and their children's children when the memory of the wicked
shall rot (H. E. I. 1089-1095). 6. _Destiny._ He is to be crowned and
enthroned in the abiding glory. "He shall dwell on high" (H. E. I.
1073-1076, 1106, 1112-1119).
II. PROVISION. "Bread shall be given him, his water shall be sure."
His wants shall be supplied in his elevation. All necessary temporal
supplies and spiritual provision. Christ the bread of life.
xxxiii. 17. _Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty; they shall
behold the land that is very far off._
321
They would then have the joy of seeing Hezekiah in his goodly
apparel, and, freed from the presence of the invader, would be left
at liberty to enjoy their own pleasant and goodly land. The
deliverance was accomplished (2 Chron. xxxii. 21). But there is
another application of the text--to the beatific vision of the King
of kings in the heavenly land. Let us then consider--
xxxiii. 17. _Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty._
322
sensitiveness with activity of soul in addition exercised upon the
impressions received. The more perfect the manhood, the more perfect
is this sensibility. The total absence of it is the essence of
vulgarity. The presence of it in its several degrees endows its
possessor, according to the proportion of it, with what Chaucer meant
by "gentilness." 1. It does not seem wrong to say that there was in
Christ the _sensibility to natural beauty._ He also, like us, wished
and sought that Nature should send "its own deep quiet to restore His
heart." We find His common teaching employed about the vineyard and
the wandering sheep, the whitening corn and the living well, the
summer rain and the wintry flood and storm. 2. Still higher in Him
was an intense _sensibility to human feeling._ He saw Nathaniel
coming to Him, and in a moment frankly granted the meed of praise
(John i. 47); when the malefactor on the cross appealed to Him,
Christ saw at once that the fountain of a noble life had begun to
flow (Luke xxiii. 43). It was the same with bodies of men as with
men; He wove into one instrument of work the various characters of
the Apostles; day by day He held together vast multitudes by feeling
their hearts within His own; He shamed and confuted His enemies by an
instinct of their objections and their whispers; men, women, and
children ran to Him, as a child to its mother.
323
feelings of others; nay, it is hateful in us till we lift it into the
beauty of sympathising action. Remember, too, its wise
discrimination. Christ, while feeling with all the world, sanctified
distinctiveness in friendship and love.
324
prevail. (See THE DUTY OF GLADNESS, pp. 228, 229.)
III. The Church of Christ is "a tabernacle that shall not be taken
down." "A tabernacle" in contrast with the superior glories of the
New Jerusalem in heaven. A tabernacle, because it may often change
its place, as in fact it has already done. But it shall never be
"taken down" in the sense of being destroyed (H. E. I. 1246-1251).
FOOTNOTES:
[2] See THE PEACEFUL HABITATION, chap. xxxii. 18, page 368.
ENRICHING RIVERS.
The prophet here speaks for the encouragement of God's Church; and he
appears to overstep the boundaries of time, and gives a glimpse of
the blessedness and safety of the Church triumphant. In our
interpretation let us take a large view, and refer, as the course of
thought may require, both to the Church militant and the Church
triumphant. And let it be deeply impressed on the mind that the
promises of God can be realised only by those who belong to the true
Israel.
325
I. THE ATTRACTIVE TITLE PROCLAIMED. "The glorious Lord." God is
glorious in His own perfections, and as the source of all the glory
and beauty in this and every other world. Our knowledge of God is
gathered from His manifestations in _nature_ and _revelation._ How
resplendent in glory is the Being thus revealed to us! Especially we
may say, with immediate reference to our subject, He is glorious in
the vastness of His resources. In the summer the streams of the Holy
Land were either entirely dried up, and converted into hot lanes of
glaring sands, or reduced to narrow streamlets. But no summer's heat
can dry up the broad streams of Divine love and mercy. God is
glorious in the abundant nature of His supplies, and in His
willingness to make ample provision for His Church.
FOOTNOTES:
326
precious produce of distant lands may also bring the
war-ship laden with the instruments of destruction and
death. But the city of our solemnities is secure. No
mischief can come to us along the broad river of Almighty
grace.--_Burrows._
A CONTROLLING FACT.
An immense step has been taken in the moral development of any one
who has been led to say this with the understanding, with a vivid
perception of the truth of this declaration.
+II. A recognition of the fact that God is our Judge will necessarily
exert a controlling influence upon us.+ We are greatly influenced by
the judgment passed upon our character and conduct by our fellow-men,
327
especially if they are discerning and virtuous, and still more if
their good or bad opinion is likely to be of advantage or
disadvantage to us. What, then, must be the effect upon any man who
really wakes up to the fact that we are under the scrutiny of One who
alone can justly estimate our character, and whose estimation of it
is of infinite importance to us! To be approved and beloved, or to be
disapproved and hated by the Ruler of the universe! It is in one of
these conditions that each of us stands to-day. Disapprobation from
God is the extremity of disgrace and misery; approbation of Him is
the summit of honour and happiness: the former is the natural object
of fear, sorrow, and shame, exciting to circumspect avoidance of it;
the latter of ardent desire, elevating hope, and rapturous joy,
conspiring to animate us in eager pursuit of it.
1. The unpardoned man cannot remember that "the Lord is our Judge"
without _fear._ Thoughts of His nearness, His omniscience, His
omnipotence, and His hatred of all sin fill him with alarm. Along
with this fear there springs up within him _sorrow._ The sinner who
has become conscious of the discriminating eye of perfect sanctity
marking all his paths, mourns for his sins and is troubled. His
spirit is broken, his heart is contrite. He sorrows to repentance
(2 Cor. vii. 9). To the sorrow is added _shame._ Whatever brings a
stain upon our character in the estimation of our fellow-men
naturally produces shame and humiliation. To be detected in what is
base confounds most men, even though no further inconvenience is
apprehended. To be lost to shame is the last sign of degeneracy; but
to deserve blame from God is the deepest ignominy; it must cover with
confusion every man who has any sense of God (Dan. ix. 8; Luke
xviii. 13).
328
applauses of an ignorant multitude, he must be as destitute of good
sense as of religion who can hesitate in preferring honour from God
to the good opinion of the whole universe. 2. All the present
pleasures and advantages which sin can offer will be unable to seduce
the man who preserves a lively sense of the Heavenly Judge, for they
bear no proportion either to the happiness which accompanies His
approbation, or to the misery which arises from His wrath (Matt.
xvi. 26, 27). All the losses, troubles, and perils to which virtue
can expose him will not have power to terrify him from the love and
practice of it (Rom. viii. 18). Conscious that he is observed by God,
animated by the sense of his acting his part before so august a
Presence, he will exert all the powers of his soul to act it well. In
the exertion he will feel a noble expansion of heart, and triumph in
the hope of being approved and rewarded, and his hope shall not be
disappointed, for its largest promises shall be surpassed by the
greatness of his reward.--_Alexander Gerard, D.D.: Sermons,_ vol. ii.
pp. 239-274.
xxxiii. 22. _For the Lord is our Judge; the Lord is our
Lawgiver, &c._
There are here two propositions, the one affirming that Jehovah
sustains a certain relationship to us, the other declaring that in
that relationship, and therefore in a manner perfectly consistent
with it, He will save us. The same thing substantially is repeatedly
asserted in the Scriptures. The very prophet in whose writings these
words occur elsewhere speaks thus in God's name: "There is no God
else beside me, a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside"
(xlv. 21); "I bring near my righteousness, my salvation shall not
tarry" (xlvi. 13); "My righteousness is near, my salvation is gone
forth" (li. 5). All this has been translated into New Testament
language in that remarkable utterance of Paul's, "Christ Jesus, whom
God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood,
to declare His righteousness, that He might be just, and the
justifier of him who believeth in Jesus" (Rom. iii. 25, 26).
Let us endeavour to unfold the harmony of salvation with the law, the
justice, and the royalty of God.
329
as a whole are not interfered with but advanced. Now it is here
affirmed that Jehovah stands to us in this threefold relation, and
that as a judge He saves us criminals, as a lawgiver He forgives us
law-breakers, as a king He pardons us rebels.
We are not denying that God is willing and anxious to show Himself as
a _father,_ even to sinners. Our affirmation is, that _now,_ when man
has sinned, if God is to be to him precisely as He was before, if the
liberty of God's Son is to be enjoyed by him, then some means must be
taken to secure that in all this no dishonour shall be put upon the
law of God, no blot be made upon His judicial character, and no peril
result to His throne or the interests of His holy subjects.
+II. The means by which God the Judge, Lawgiver, and King saves man.+
If we take the Scriptures for our guide, the answer will not be
difficult to discover, for we are there uniformly taught that God
seeks to save us through a substitute. At first this principle was
revealed through animal sacrifices, then through the more definite
offerings of the Mosaic institute, and then through the still more
definite teachings of the inspired prophets. The high priest laid his
hand upon the head of his victim, confessed over it all his
iniquities and all the sins of all the people, and it was to bear
their iniquity. But in the remarkable oracle contained in Isaiah
liii. the very same phraseology is used in reference to the expected
Messiah; for we are there told that God "hath laid upon Him the
iniquity of us all," that "He was wounded for our transgressions, and
bruised for our iniquities," and that "He shall bear our iniquities."
To this corresponds the language of the New Testament; for when John
the Baptist pointed out the Messiah, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God
that taketh (beareth) away the sins of the world;" and Jesus Himself
declared that "the Son of man came to give His life a ransom for
many," and that "the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."
And in perfect harmony with all this are the utterances of the
Apostles. It seems perfectly clear that the principle of substitution
is the very thread round which all the other declarations of the
Scripture crystallise. The Bible, from its beginning to its close, is
"dipped in blood;" the atoning death of Christ is the foundation on
which its whole system rests, and if that be rejected, the whole book
must go with it as a dead and worthless thing.
330
He was God as well as man. Again, it was such a sacrifice as met the
case, for it was offered in the person of a Divine Man. As God-man,
He infinitely transcends all other men, and therefore, when standing
as a substitute, His personal dignity and worth give infinite value
to His substitution. 3. _That the persons set free thereby should be
so changed in character that their after conduct shall not in any way
interfere with or interrupt the happiness of God's other holy
children and subjects._ This is secured in connection with Christ's
work; for when, by the eye of faith, the love of Jesus is seen as
manifested on the cross, its power is such that it constrains the
sinner to live to Him who loved him and gave Himself for him. The
criminal who is pardoned through faith in the substitution of Christ
is also reformed, and no detriment results from his deliverance to
the other citizens of Jehovah's empire. 4. _That the substitute
himself have such compensation given him, that in the end he shall
not lose, but rather gain, through the sacrifice He has made._ Even
although a substitute should willingly offer himself, it would be
injustice to allow him to suffer if no adequate return could be made
for it. Christ received as the reward of His sufferings that which is
by Himself admitted and declared to be a thoroughly satisfactory
recompense for the sacrifice he made. As He sees of the travail of
His soul, He is satisfied. 5. _That the substitute be accepted by
both parties._ That He is accepted by God is evident from the
resurrection of Christ from the dead, His ascension into heaven, and
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit; and He becomes accepted by the
sinner when he believes in Jesus. Christ is not my substitute until I
accept Him as such.
FOOTNOTES:
Seas, rivers, and ships have for ages afforded the world the mainstay
of commerce. Not only so; the imagery of many of our best books would
have been very much the poorer had not visions and dreams of the sea
been present to the writers. Isaiah makes good use of these. In ver.
21 he says, "The glorious Lord will be unto us a place of broad
rivers and streams," &c. Jerusalem was badly off, compared with
Babylon and other cities, in that it had neither sea nor river, but
only a small rivulet. Large and deep rivers near great towns have
their advantages and disadvantages in time of war. The prophet here
331
says that God would be to Jerusalem a place of broad rivers and
streams, wherein no ship of war should be allowed to approach to
injure His people. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put
confidence in seas or war-ships. (ver. 22).
Jerusalem, at the time, was in danger from a great power, and in the
text that power, Assyria, is compared to a ship whose "tacklings are
loosed," &c. A sad plight surely for a ship to be in! But not only
great powers like Assyria are, in reality, in a bad way, as abettors
of wickedness, but individuals also, like the disabled vessel spoken
of by the prophet; for, 1. _A wicked man is like a ship whose
tacklings are loosed._ The tackle of a ship is of immense service in
many ways; but a ship whose tackle has got loosed from her masts is
not fit for a voyage. No seaman would dream of sailing in such a
ship. Every rope must be in its right place and securely fixed. But
how many men are out on the voyage of life, with the gear of mind and
heart all loose! In fine weather, even, they make no real headway; in
storms they are in peril of being cast away. They are at the mercy of
every wind that blows; for, 2. _A wicked man is like a ship whose
masts will not stand upright._ The tackle of a ship is of service in
strengthening its masts. But men are out voyaging on the sea of life:
they would fain stand upright, but they cannot; for their thoughts
and feelings are not made use of to sustain them in an upright life;
they sway under the blast; the crash of ruin is always impending.
3. _A wicked man is like a ship without sails._ On a mast,
unstrengthened by good tackle, it is worse than useless to attempt to
spread a sail. But without sails to catch the heaven-sent breezes,
how shall the distant haven be reached? Even men of some moral
ballast are at best like poor toilers at the oars. The port is a long
way off, and they need sails--wings filled with spiritual
energies--to carry them onward over miles of sea day by day. 4. _A
wicked man is like a dismantled ship which plunderers attack._ "Then
is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey." How
poor sailors are plundered by the weakest of mankind and womankind!
NO SICKNESS THERE.
332
sickness, but they cannot uproot it. When, therefore, we read of a
city in which there shall be no sickness, our thoughts turn from
earth to heaven. The text is a beautifully poetic representation of
the termination of the conscious weakness that rested on Jerusalem
while the Assyrian army lay before it. But there is a sense in which
the words may be literally understood. We believe in "the holy city,
the new Jerusalem." Let us meditate on that new condition of our life.
+I. Sickness is weakness.+ We give the name to all states of the body
other than sound and perfect health. How numerous! Our condition here
is one of constant liability to it. At every period of life we are
exposed to it. It may be borne to us by the air we breathe; taken
with the food we eat and the water we drink; received by contact with
our fellows; lurk secretly in some part of our body unsuspected;
develop itself from the slight cold, the result of carelessness, or
in spite of the utmost thoughtfulness; it may attack the youth as
well as the old man, those who boast the fulness of their strength as
well as those who know themselves to be less firmly built. But it
always supposes weakness. Under the name of weakness it holds its
victim with a firm grasp. While he persuades himself that he has
conquered, it secretly spreads through every vein, and eventually
lays him prostrate. The strongest man becomes powerless when sickness
holds him in its grasp. As he is too weak to throw off the weakness,
he is too weak to perform the tasks which at other times he performs
with perfect ease. The student, the mechanic, the merchant. Visit
some sick-bed and your confidence of perpetual strength will depart.
Sickness is humiliating because it is weakening. It is often attended
with pain. Pain increases weakness. In the grasp of pain the sufferer
may be held for days, with no power of resistance, no prospect of
relief.
333
devolving responsibility on him, that he may himself enjoy a few
years' rest after a life of hard and anxious work. But sickness
comes. It passes by those you would expect it to strike. It singles
out the young and strong. Gradually that fine young man wastes away.
Day and night the mother, whose advancing years and infirmities
demand the attention, watches over him with a breaking heart. All is
done that strong affection can inspire. It is vain. Oh! what sorrow
through these months! And when the end comes, what tongue can
describe the agony?
+IV. Sickness, sorrow, and death are the fruit of sin.+ Does not
Scripture thus trace them? There was no sickness before sin. Sin was
the seed. The heavenly city is free from sin. There is perfect
holiness. It is the completion of the redeeming work of Christ from
sin, sorrow, death. The seed which bears sickness is taken out of the
soil.
334
world of which the inhabitant shall not say, "I am sick." Sickness
helps to crumble us into death; diseases are Death's servants. Death
sends them out in their different liveries as his couriers and
forerunners; they apprise sinners that their Master is coming into
their country, passing by that way, will perhaps "stand at their door
and knock," warning each to be ready to leave all and follow death,
as Peter said he and his fellow-apostles had done for Christ
(H. E. I. 1561).
3. One might mention a third evil, viz., the trouble one gives in
sickness to those around us, only you might be ready to cry out, "We
cannot allow this to be either a trouble or an evil; what sister or
affectionate brother would think this a trouble?" But often the
sufferer feels it keenly.
335
pp. 59-68.
The Lord has always been mindful of His Church. He is pledged to her
defence against the world, and against the world-spirit which often
intrudes within her pale. Chapter xxxiv. contains a description of
the effects of the Divine vengeance in the typical case of Edom;
chapter xxxv. describes the flourishing state of the Church
consequent upon the execution of the Divine judgments.
With a grander display of the Divine power this tale has been re-told
under the Christian dispensation. Social and national crises are
still brought about, in the wise judgment of God, first, to make
manifest the sins of communities and nations; and, second, to direct
men to the Church of Christ. In times of _the Church's
unfaithfulness,_ apostles, truly apostolic men, reformers, &c.,
interfere.
336
+II. Antagonism between the Church and the world must end in the
defeat and subjugation of the world.+ Jehovah is the defender of the
cause of Zion through the ages. He has espoused the cause of holiness
against ungodliness. His people may be dispersed, but the Church does
not die out. From the lowest ebb it returns to the flow. The blood of
its martyrs becomes seed. Its opponents turn ever feebler. This is
seen in their more spasmodic efforts. Its benign influence has
extended far; ever larger numbers are being brought under its yoke.
The world fights every inch of the ground; but--
+III. The great day is surely coming.+ There must come a complete
manifestation of the Church's inherent glory. 1. This manifestation
will take place by displays of Divine vengeance on the enemies of
Zion. This method of the ancient time has not become obsolete. 2. The
manifestation will not be short-lived, but continue, so that
destruction may be succeeded by a realised state of salvation.
3. Last of all, there shall be seen the triumph of the Church, when
Church and world shall be conterminous, and fulness of blessing be
enjoyed. (Chapter xxxv. still awaits its largest fulfilment.)
A CALL TO STUDY.
xxxiv. 16. _Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord, and read,
&c._
337
We use the text in order to urge the study of Scripture as a
Christian duty--
2 Tim. iii. 16; 2 Pet. i. 21. It is the Book of the Lord. The Bible
is a collection of the records of Divine revelations made at various
times, but bearing on its great design. The inducement to read a book
often depends on the author. We believe him to be endowed with
literary skill, or an authority on the subject of the book. And if
God is, in some way, through the various writers, the Author of the
Book, the authorship is an important reason for reading it (H. E. I.
522, 523). Consider who and what He is, and the solemn relations in
which He stands to us (H. E. I. 561). Its subjects will be worthy of
Him and important to us. It will be authoritative. From the
uncertainties of human thought we find in the Lord's Book a safe
resting-place.
In its form, apart from its subject-matter. Some form it must have.
It might have been in the form of didactic statement only, without
illustrative facts or poetic beauties. It would not have been read
with interest. Or it might have been in the catechetical form.
However useful this method in fastening definite notions in carefully
chosen words, it would have failed to be a book to which men and
women would return with delight as they return to the Bible after the
period of youth has passed away. It is made interesting by the varied
forms in which truth is communicated. It is poetic, historical,
biographical. Its teaching is usually so connected with events and
persons as to present points of interest always fresh. The man finds
a solution of the profoundest problems of time and eternity. The
child finds in its narratives of persons and events a charm that
never fails. To its interesting form is owing, in a large degree, its
hold on those who read it from day to day (H. E. I. 607-609, 3860).
Is not the course of human life like that of a vessel exposed to the
winds that may drive her leagues out of her proper course? Does not
man need careful guidance? Conscience is the captain, but conscience
338
untaught and unguided will manage the ship uncertainly and
erroneously (H. E. I. 1299-1307). The Book of the Lord is the
directory for the conscience. No position demanding moral action can
ever occur in which adherence to its direction will not issue safely.
How pure its principles! How righteous its commands! How wise its
directions! They touch our life at every point.
Sorrows are incident to human life. There are present troubles. Some
are heart-breaking. We need help and comfort. The world does not
contain it. Here is the balm that can heal every wound.
And there is the future. The prospect of death and eternity. Without
the Book of the Lord men are uncertain and hopeless. It sheds clear
light on both. How many in the prospect, are delivered from fear and
filled with hope! What comfort it affords under the bereaving stroke!
For all these reasons "seek ye out the Book of the Lord." Bring every
question to it. Read it daily, thoughtfully, for yourself, for
others. In your youth. In your active manhood. In your old age.--_J.
Rawlinson._
xxxiv. 16. _Seek ye out of the Book of the Lord, and read,
&c._
We may be sure that God would not give a revelation without affixing
His seal to it; otherwise it would be useless, there being no
evidence of its Divine origin. Supposing a revelation given, what
would constitute a satisfactory proof of its Divinity? Evidently it
must be some sign not capable of being counterfeited, some
unmistakable indication that GOD has spoken to us. This might be
given by some exertion of Divine power or some manifestation of
Divine knowledge. As such, miracles and prophecy would furnish
indubitable proof that a revelation was from God, and those which
attest the Bible are its proper seals. Along with the internal
evidence and the argument drawn from the success of the Gospel, they
are so many buttresses supporting the edifice of revealed truth; but
each is a distinct and sufficient support by itself. The Scriptures
themselves appeal to the evidence of fulfilled prophecy in support of
their reception as the Word of God, and one of the most pointed of
these appeals is that before us. In this chapter Isaiah predicts the
desolations that were to come on the chief city of Edom. Placing
himself forward in time amid the scenes he predicts, he challenges
any one to compare the predictions in the Book of the Lord with the
actual condition of the city; he is confident that "the Book" will
bear that test, and will come out of it triumphantly.
+I. Read the prophecy before us in the light of its fulfilment.+ The
apologetic value of prophecy has often been discredited. Attempts
have been made to explain it on natural grounds, as a sagacious
forecast, a shrewd prognostication. But what natural sagacity could
have foreseen that Edom, so powerful and prosperous in Isaiah's time,
339
would become a desolate waste? It has been well remarked that
prophecy possesses as a proof of Divine revelation some advantages
that are peculiar. Its fulfilment may fall under our own observation,
or may be conveyed to us by living witnesses. The evidence from
miracles can never be stronger than it was at first; but that of
prophecy is increasing, and will go on increasing until the whole
scheme of perdition is fulfilled. It is the accomplishment, and not
the mere publication of a prophecy, which supplies a proof of the
Divine origin of the Bible; and this evidence is constantly
accumulating. The prophets themselves did not understand some of
their oracles (1 Pet. i. 11, 12). They were like documents written in
colourless ink, to which some chemical preparation must be applied to
make their characters legible. Their meaning could be seen only in
their fulfilment. But all the prophetic writings are not thus
obscure; many are clear and definite; more like the details of a
historical narrative than the visions of prophecy. Nothing can be
plainer than the description here given of the state to which Edom
would be reduced. The wards of this lock are too intricate to be
opened by any key which we choose to apply to it; but the fitting key
has been found. "The whole," says Alexander, "is a magnificent
prophetic picture, the fidelity of which, is notoriously attested by
its desolation for a course of ages." The chief city in the region of
Mount Seir was Selah or Petra, the Rock City. It was long unknown
till it was discovered by Robinson, and since then it has been
visited by successive travellers. It lay embedded among the hills. So
nestled was it in its rocks "that it could only be approached by two
narrow defiles. Dwellings cut out of the solid stone line the face of
the cliffs, and the central space indicates that a large city once
stood upon it." Malachi speaks of its utter desolation (Mal. i. 2,
3), but afterwards it recovered for a time. Its condition for
centuries as described by unbiassed witnesses is a standing evidence
of the truth of the prophetic Word.
340
reliable when it tells us of earthly things, may we not believe it
when it tells us of heavenly things? 2. _We may be sure that its
prophecies concerning the future of Christ's kingdom and the destiny
of the human race will in like manner be fulfilled to the letter_
(Ps. lxxii. 11, 17; Rom. viii. 19-23). So many of the prophecies of
God's Word have already been accomplished, that we should feel
confident that those not yet fulfilled are surely marching on to
their fulfilment. The prospects of success in the mission field are
brighter in our day than ever they were. The Church is taking an
interest in the enterprise quite unknown to former generations, and
openings have been made into lands before closed alike against
commerce and Christianity. But even if our hopes of success were less
cheering, we would not despair. With so many Bible predictions behind
us in the past now become history, we cannot but be encouraged to
look for the fulfilment of those glowing prophecies concerning the
future coming of the Redeemer's kingdom which stand on the inspired
page. Let us never lose sight of those grand predictions; let us
cherish a hopeful and expectant spirit, and in the confidence of
success descend to the spiritual harvest of the world (H. E. I.
1166-1168).--_William Guthrie, M.A._
Human faith finds its ultimate basis in God Himself. The certainty of
the Divine judgments may therefore be inferred from--
341
from their bondage in Egypt "with a stretched out arm, and with great
judgments" (Exod. vi. 1-8). JEHOVAH: what does the Name mean?
_Being_--unconditioned, absolute, immutable, eternal Being. If, then,
God changes not, but is JEHOVAH, to sin against Him is inevitably to
call down judgment; for JEHOVAH'S will must be done on earth as it is
in heaven. 2. _Some of the attributes by the use of which we try to
compass the Divine nature._ (1.) _God is just._ But sin, in all its
forms, is a crying injustice, and affronts God so that the Divine
majesty must assert itself in punishment. (2.) _God is good._ But
sin, as selfishness, is radically opposed to goodness in God, who has
might, as well as right, on His side, and, therefore, pursues
selfishness to its last resort. (3.) _God is holy._ Separateness from
all sin distinguishes Him in the midst of His _relations_ to man.
How, then, can sinners go unpunished? (H. E. I. 2281, 2282,
4478-4479, 4603-4610).
TRANSFORMATION.
342
+I. The end condition of the localities on which the Gospel is
intended to operate.+
Even we can appreciate the value of water and the beauty of its
effects. But to Orientals water is a matter of life and death. Hence
as an emblem it is employed to bring before the mind the blessed and
joy-giving results of the kingdom of Christ. Note these results as
they are brought before us in our text. 1. _Gladness._ "The
wilderness and the solitary place," &c. Music of Nature after copious
rains following on scorching heat. This an emblem of the joy brought
to human hearts by the Gospel. The wilderness state one of sorrow;
the river of the water of life running through the heart makes it
glad. This is seen in cases where sin and terror are cast out of the
heart by the love of God. How this result has been manifested in
modern times in nations converted from idolatry to Christianity
(H. E. I. 1134). 2. _Fertility._ "It shall blossom," &c. The desert
is barren. The Gospel changes moral wilderness into fruitful gardens;
the individual, the nation. 3. _Beauty._ Think first of a part of the
earth's surface parched, desert, and barren, and then of it as a
garden covered with the fairest flowers. The first and most striking
impression made upon the mind by such a transformation would not be
so much that of fertility as of surpassing beauty. So with this moral
transformation. Contrast the state of a country before with its
condition after having received the Gospel (H. E. I. 1126, 1127).
Look at the annals of missionary effort: Madagascar, Samoa, the Fiji
Islands, &c. The same change occurs in individual character.
4. _Glory and majesty._ "The glory of Lebanon," &c. Symbols of all
that is glorious and majestic. To live by the power of Jesus the
secret of a noble life. Alliance with heaven raises men to regal
dignity. The Gospel elevates the character and dignifies the pursuits
of men. Our lower pursuits are ennobled by a Christian aim, whilst
the higher life has the very glory of God resting on it. 5. A vision
that extends into the Holy of Holies. "They shall see the glory of
Jehovah," &c. Only in Christ can we see this. He is the glory of God.
The Shekinah is seen above the blood-besprinkled mercy-seat.--_John
Key in the Modern Scottish Pulpit,_ vol. i. pp. 133-143.
343
Scripture are here in a brief compendium. It has been assigned to the
state of Judah under Hezekiah, to the return from the exile, to the
Christian dispensation, to a future condition of Palestine, to some
future state of the Church or of the world, as well as to some other
occasions. Two plain facts are before us--1. At no period of Jewish
history was there any approach to a perfect realisation of the
magnificent promises of this and allied predictions. 2. God has
already given to us so substantial a foretaste of the blessings here
promised, that we may rest assured that the one satisfying fulfilment
of the prophecy will be in the triumph of the kingdom of heaven
through the power of the Gospel of Christ.
1. _Life._ This is the first and most important thing. Christ, the
one Saviour of society, was the greatest of iconoclasts. But He was
also the greatest founder, originator, constructor. He sows seed,
gives increase, brings life. 2. _Beauty._ The desert blossoms as the
rose. The garden is not to be solely utilitarian. The Church is the
bride of Christ, and as such she is to be adorned with every grace.
3. _Gladness._ Life and beauty bring joy. The Church not a
prison-house of melancholy devotion. 4. _Varied accessories._ The
garden will not only produce its own seedlings, but plants from all
quarters are to be carried into it. Lebanon gives her cedars; Sharon
her far-famed rose. Christians are heirs of all things. "All things
are yours."
344
to work with. Meanwhile, let us do what we can to convert our little
corner of the vast wilderness into some beginning of the garden of
the Lord.--_W. F. Adeny, M.A.: Clerical World,_ i. 231.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] The civilisation of Greece and Rome did not affect anything
in the way for changing spiritual death into spiritual
life. The utmost which it succeeded in effecting was to
cover the frightful corruption of death with a more
beautiful funeral pall--to hide the naked hideousness of
sin behind a veil spangled with silver, and gold, and
precious stones. But death was there none the less, and sin
of such a kind that the foulest impurities of the most
degraded heathen could not exceed the impurities of Athens
and of Rome. The old lesson is being taught us, if we would
but learn it, in our own day. It is not civilisation that
can change the moral desolation of France, of Spain, of
Austria. It is not civilisation, as understood by men of
science and doctrinaire philosophers, that can change the
moral wilderness existing in our large cities, and in much
of our rural population. It will only do what it did in
Greece; it will merely cover the ghastliness of death with
a more decent covering.--_Kay._
345
experience._ It is the privilege of believers in Christ to know their
salvation. But many fail to attain it. They do not doubt His
sufficiency, but their own interest in it. They fear their sins are
not forgiven, their spiritual experience not genuine. Sometimes this
is the result of a tendency to view every subject in its darker
aspects. Sometimes it is the result of disease. Sometimes of
unwatchfulness, negligence, and sin. Sometimes of defective
conceptions of the Gospel. Sometimes of a microscopic self-scrutiny
which exposes failings and defects with severe faithfulness. The
victim of such fears is like one who wishes to reach the city but is
never sure that he is in the right way. 2. _In relation to Christian
enterprise._ Christians are not converted merely for their own
safety. There is a work to do. Sinful habits, dispositions, tempers
to be overcome. The dark mass of humanity to be brightened. The
Gospel is to be carried to the destitute. This work requires the
gifts and opportunities in the hands of Christians. But the weak and
faint-hearted tremble at every undertaking. To them the missionary
enterprise is a hopeless expenditure of money and life. The time for
useful labour in the Church never arrives. If it is commenced, it is
abandoned when difficulties present themselves. These weak brethren
do nothing themselves and repress the plans and efforts of bolder and
more enterprising Christians (H. E. I. 2057, 2058). Among your fears
let there be the fear lest by your fears you should hinder the cause
of Christ!
346
he will never be equal to it. His father says, "Be a man; face your
work, and strength for it will come." So God says, "Be strong." Here
is work in the Church and the world. You are weak. Use the strength
He gives. It will grow by use. "Be strong in the grace that is in
Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. ii. 1). "Strong in the Lord, and in the power
of His might" (Eph vi. 10).
Presumption and fear are the Scylla and Charybdis of the Christian
life, and it requires Divine guidance, together with all our own
watchfulness, to steer safely between them. On the one hand, many are
inclined to indulge in vain confidence, and take to themselves the
Christian name and hope when not entitled to them; and on the other,
many are fearful and disposed to shrink back from duties and
privileges which really belong to them. It demands much wisdom on the
part of a pastor so to speak as not to encourage false hopes, nor
discourage weak and timid piety, especially in reference to a public
profession of religion. My object is, to suit the case of those who
are well entitled to hope for the Divine mercy through Christ Jesus,
but are disquieting themselves, or are disquieted by the enemy, with
needless fears. In meeting their wants I will state, and reply to,
the reasoning by which I know that many disturb their own peace.
2. _"If I were truly a child of God, sin would not prevail against me
as I find it does."_ Answer:--Sin is never perfectly subdued in our
hearts as long as we remain upon earth. Some boast of having attained
to sinless perfection, but they seem to be labouring under a sort of
hallucination, like that of one in an insane asylum, amid his straw
and rags, who fancies himself a king, when he is indeed but a poor
pitiable object. "The righteous falleth seven times a day," &c. Read
St. Paul's experience in the last part of the 7th of Romans and be
encouraged thereby (H. E. I. 329, 1057, 2313, 2861, 4571-4573).
3. "I find that sin not only prevails against me, _but I seem to be
worse than when I first strove against it; my heart appears to grow
more wicked, my corruptions stronger, and my strength to resist to be
less._" Answer:--To _perceive_ more of our sin than usual does not
always prove that we are more sinful, but often the reverse, just as
when one cleanses a room, though the air is filled with dust floating
in the sunbeams, there is no more of it actually than before, and
there will soon be less of it as the operation goes on. We do not
347
know the strength of our evil passions until we begin to oppose them.
It is also undoubtedly true that when one is making a special effort
to lead a Christian life, that then he is especially tempted and
hindered, and that the motions of sin are then more violent. And
further than this, when any are endeavouring to break away from the
dominion of Satan, then he assails them with his most powerful
temptations (H. E. I. 1060-1062, 1066-1068, 2524, 2525).
4. Another class of disquieted ones affirm that they cannot hope they
are true Christians, _because they seem to love everything else more
than God._ But in estimating our love to God compared with our love
to earthly things, we are not to conclude that we love that most
which most excites our affections. It has been well remarked "that a
man may be more moved when he sees a friend that has long been
absent, and seem to regard him more for the moment than he does his
own wife and children, and yet none would think that the friend was
loved the most;" so neither must we conclude because when we are
abroad in the world we find our affections vehemently stirred towards
its various objects, that therefore they are supreme in our hearts.
We should judge of our comparative affection by asking ourselves
soberly which of the two objects we should prefer to part with
(H. E. I. 3365, 3366, 4188, 4189).
6. Some again have fears that they are not true Christians, _because
they come so far short of the attainments of some eminent Christians
of their acquaintance._ We reply that the worst part of the character
of those exalted saints may not be known to us, or they may not have
our hindrances, or they may have been long in growing up to that
state, while we are only, as it were, babes in Christ (H. E. I.
2508-2526).
7. Another class say _that they cannot think any real Christian ever
was so tempted and distressed with evil thoughts as they are._ We
reply, Job was tempted to curse God, and Christ Himself to worship
Satan. We may have very wicked thoughts entering our minds, but if we
strive against them and they are painful to us, they are no evidence
against us. Christ had thoughts as vile as these suggested to Him,
but He remained sinless (H. E. I. 4767-4779).
348
Their name is legion, and our prayer should be that Christ would
command them to come out of the man who is troubled with them, and to
enter no more into him.--_W. H. Lewis, D.D.: Plain Sermons for the
Christian Year._
349
the most virulent and malignant. It is a work within their souls,
which the power of God alone can effect. It is a change of the
heart's deepest principles and affections under the influence of
spiritual considerations only. It is a moral revolution. The blind
eyes are opened to the glory of Christ's truth. The deaf ear listens
to His voice. The dumb tongue is eloquent of His salvation, and sings
His praise. And the lame man gladly walks in the way of His
commandments.
Gladness runs through the text. Leaping and singing are expressions
of joy. The blessings of salvation find the soul in the condition of
a traveller in the sandy desert, weary, footsore, lame, and silent,
who unexpectedly finds a springing well, and begins to talk, and
sing, and leap for joy. Joy arises in the heart--1. _From the supply
of a conscious need._ Imagine the joy of those whom Christ healed,
when the blind saw the light and became interested in the objects
around him, when the deaf heard the sound of the human voice, when
the dumb was able to make himself understood, when the lame recovered
the use of his limbs. What joy was brought into many a home! And when
He comes to the heart with His forgiving, cleansing, healing love,
what gladness He brings! It is the beginning of days. It is the
enjoyment of life. Christians have sources of happiness of which the
world knows nothing. "Ye rejoice with joy unspeakable, and full of
glory" (H. E. I. 3041). 2. _From the manifestation of a compassionate
Saviour._ His healing miracles illustrate His character. Beneficence,
tender sympathy with human suffering, love to man marked His steps.
It brought Him down from heaven. It nailed Him to the cross. And He
is still the same. He is personally interested in His people
(H. E. I. 952-957). He is the object of Divine love, and therefore
joy. 3. _From the satisfaction of settled faith._ Faith connects the
soul with Him. But it is often assailed. It needs support even where
it exists. The disciples sometimes wavered, then some new
confirmation was afforded. John the Baptist in prison doubted,
therefore received the message (Matt. xi. 4-6). Jesus uses His
miracles in evidence. Nor must we surrender their evidential power.
And there is the confirmatory evidence of expression. This is always
fresh.
1. This subject calls for grateful love. Give evidence of your cure
by getting the spirit of Christ's compassionate love, and by using
His instruments for the cure of others. 2. You too are still in the
power of the disease; come to Him for healing.--_J. Rawlinson._
The years of fulfilment linger, and faith is weak and faint. The
picture of hopeless helplessness is painted in the context (vers. 3,
4). If we fail, God's promise cannot (vers. 1, 2). The transformation
of the desert, the planting of Eden there, and the coming of God with
vengeance and recompense are one. They signify one vast display of
gracious power. It is no abstract salvation that we wait and hope
350
for, but a Saviour. The text describes the blessings of Messiah's
kingdom.
+I. "Is not this poetry?"+ Yes, but is poetry the opposite of truth?
Have not prophets ever been poets? Is not poetry the sweetest or
strongest or sublimest expression of man's noblest conceptions of
truth? This poem of Isaiah is an expression of God's realities. The
poetry, the prophecy has its answering reality in history. The age of
Christ spake back to it, and both speak on to us. Nothing shall be
wanting to complete the scene. The glorious in nature shall but
typify the more glorious in man's body, mind, morals, and spiritual
satisfaction and joy.
+III. The cessation of physical evil can only follow the cure of evil
that is spiritual.+ God's life, God's health, God's gladness must be
poured into the dumb before his tongue can sing. The spirit of the
blind must be thrilled with a heavenly vision before his eye can open
on the outer world. God must come and save before the cripple can
bound as the deer. 1. Man's sin must be cured, then his sorrow. The
miracles of healing in the Gospels teach us this. We can never
overlook the moral element in them. It was when Christ saw _faith_
that He said, "Thy sins be forgiven thee" (Matt. ix. 2). 2. Health
and soundness could not be given to mankind by a mere miracle-power
apart from spiritual considerations. No mere almightiness could
effect it. Pentecostal gifts, if repeated, would probably produce
similar signs and wonders; still miracles can never be more than
periodic and intermittent. The progressive life of the Spirit of God
must achieve in the race what they in the individual only foretoken.
Physical healing must keep pace with moral. The body must protest
against sin. 3. Any philanthropy springing from other hope lacks
truth and wisdom, and must fail. It proceeds upon a mistaken
conception of human nature. It only deals with symptoms. All true
philanthropy must begin at the Cross. The Cross is the sign that God
has come for vengeance and for recompense.
351
BEAUTIFUL VISIONS EXCHANGED FOR REALITIES.
+I. Past prediction has become actual fact:+ in Christ ideal visions
have become realities.
1. Let those to whom the prediction of our text has been fulfilled
352
tell the glad news to others. 2. All for those who have had these
visions all their lives, but up to this moment have been utterly
disappointed, (1) let them learn from the experience of others, who
tell them they never knew truth and happiness until they sought them
in Christ; (2) let them listen to the voice of rest; (3) let them be
sure that until they do come to Christ, the parched ground will never
become a pool. The soul needs more than the vision, however bright
and beautiful it may be; it needs the reality, and the reality can be
found only in Christ.--_Clement Clemance, D.D._
FOOTNOTES:
353
The very common use of the same word (_sarab_) by the
Arabian poets, in this mirage sense, makes certain the real
meaning here. It gives it, too, a glorious significance of
which our translation, though etymologically correct, and,
to a certain extent, quite plausible, falls far short. It
should be rendered: "The mirage shall become a lake (a
_real_ lake, not a mere mockery of one), and the thirsty
land springs of water." For the expressive meaning of the
word rendered "thirsty-land," see Deut. viii. 15--"that
great and terrible wilderness." So Gesenius, very happily:
_Et desertum aquœ speciem referens commutabitur in
lacum--in veram aquam._ (And the desert having the
_appearance_ of water shall be changed into a lake--_into
true water._)
354
"The shadows are gone, truth has come." Mohammed seems to
have, in some way, caught a spark from the prophetic
inspiration, when he represents the righteous saying this,
as they lift up their hands in the morning of the
resurrection. In the Arabic, as in the Hebrew, the power
comes from the graphic mode which both languages possess,
in so high a degree, of picturing the future in the
present, and even in the past. "Joy and triumph _are_
overtaking them, sorrow and sighing _have fled_ away." This
is not the land of reality. The idea comes down from the
pilgrim language of the patriarchs, who so pathetically
declared themselves to be but "travellers and sojourners
upon the earth." They were looking for "the better
country," the _real_ home, the "city which hath
foundations," firm and everlasting. Something of the same
idea, and from the same early source, perhaps, may be
traced in the most ancient Arabian poets who lived before
the days of Mohammed. From them he most probably borrowed
the striking similar figure we find in the Koran (Sura
xxiv. 29), entitled "Light." It has the same word
(_sharab_), and, in other respects is immediately
suggestive of the passage in Isaiah: "As for the
unbelieving, their works are like the _sarab,_ the mirage
of the plain. The thirsty traveller thinks there is water
there; but lo, he comes and finds it nothing." The latter
parts remind us of the description in Job vi. 17, which may
be cited, too, as one of the examples of its Arabian
imagery. It is a picture of the thirsty traveller sustained
by the hope of finding the refreshing wady stream; but
instead of the imagined reality, nothing meets the eye but
dried-up bed whose waters have vanished, "gone up to
_tohu,_" the formless void, as the Hebrew so graphically
expresses it
355
very ancient poem of Lebid (_Moallaka de Lebid, De Sacy's
ed.,_ p. 294). See also the account of the phenomenon as
given by Diodorus Siculus, lib. iii. ch. 50. It differs,
however, from the picture usually presented by the Arabian
poets, in that the appearances are those of animals and
wild beasts, rather than of rivers and fountains. The
particular kind of phantoms, however, would depend very
much on the kind of imagination possessed by the
travellers, and the circumstances by which it was excited.
It is, in any way, an apt representation of a delusive
world, whether in its images of terror or of attraction.
That the word is thus frequently used in the Arabic, and
that it corresponds well to its ancient Hebrew etymology,
is sufficient to warrant us in thus interpreting the idea
the prophet so impressively sets forth.--_Taylor Lewis._
The chapter of which these words are a part testifies of Christ. The
prophet, while foretelling it in the return of the Jews from their
captivity in Babylon, is enabled to look forward to a more spiritual
and much greater deliverance. With the eye of faith he sees the
kingdom of the Messiah established in the earth, and beholds Him open
a new and blessed road by which a multitude of the enslaved and
perishing escape from their miseries and are led to His kingdom. This
prophecy calls upon us to consider--1. The travellers of whom it
speaks; 2. The way along which they are journeying; 3. The home to
which it is leading them.--_Charles Bradley: Sermons,_ vol. ii. pp.
127, 128.
356
"The redeemed," &c. 1. _Once they were slaves._ Slaves of sin and
Satan. 2. _They have been redeemed._ By the precious blood of Jesus
Christ. Redeemed to God; redeemed from sin, the power of Satan, and
the wrath to come. 3. _They are now the Lord's freemen._ Now sons,
members of the Divine family; sharers of the Divine goodness and
peace; and they bear a holy resemblance to their Elder Brother.
"They shall return and come to Zion with songs." 1. They sing the
praises of their great Deliverer (Rev. i. 5, 6). 2. They sing on
account of the deliverance itself. 3. They sing on account of the
joys of their present experience. 4. They sing on account of their
glorious prospects.
FOOTNOTES:
357
+I. It is a way easily known.+ Some are difficult to find. They are
crossed and intersected so often, and so imperfectly supplied with
guiding-posts, that mistakes are almost inevitable. This is a way in
which "the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err." Serious
mistake is almost impossible. You have a directory so clear that
reference to it settles every question. God's Word is the guide of
life. He may read who runs. It is true there are no difficulties in
the ascertainment of the way of life. The road the child travels to
his home is quite plain and easy, yet he may be ignorant of the means
by which it was made, the materials of which it is constructed, the
sources whence they were obtained, the engineering appliances by
which they were bound together, the quarters from which the cost was
defrayed. At present he has no information, or it is beyond his
comprehension. Thus in the Bible there are many things difficult and
beyond the present knowledge of the student. They diminish with
advancing knowledge and thought. And even if they remain, they do not
affect the matters on which certainty is necessary. The way of
forgiveness through the Saviour's death is written with the clearness
of a sunbeam. The rule of life in its application to all
circumstances is so clearly laid down that all cases in the court of
conscience find an easy settlement; where there is a disposition to
follow it, no practical difficulty exists. It is like the pillar of
cloud and fire which infallibly guided the children of Israel in the
wilderness.
+II. It is a purified way.+ "The unclean shall not pass over it." It
is a holy way. The text fastens attention on those who traverse the
road as giving it its character. They are holy persons in the company
of holy persons. What is holiness? It is separation, setting apart,
purity, always with reference to God. 1. Its meaning is not covered
by morality. That term is ordinarily met by the performance of the
duties that arise between man and man. 2. Nor is the meaning of the
term "holy" covered by humanity. We hear much of what is called "the
religion of humanity," which means a benevolent desire for the
well-being of mankind. Like morality, it is to be commended as far as
it goes. It is, indeed, a step in advance of morality. It is a man's
worldly interest to practise its virtues. Humanity rises higher. It
looks beyond self. In proportion as a man looks out from himself to
the well-being of others, he is ennobled. Holiness includes them
both, but they do not necessarily include holiness. They terminate in
man, whereas holiness is in immediate relation to God. It is the
separation of a man's nature from all sin against God, and is
consecration to Him. God brings a sinner under the power of His
grace, and a saint emerges. The love of God in Christ, which pardons
him, so influences his nature that he comes into sympathy with God,
and desires to be like Him. He makes the Divine will the rule of his
life. He is born anew. He is holy in heart. His growing practical
obedience to the Divine authority is his walk in the way of holiness.
Those who have not experienced such a change cannot walk in it. They
tire. Holiness of heart precedes holiness of life (H. E. I.
2813-2817).
358
are formidable obstructions. There are temptations to weariness and
abandonment of the way. Yet the difficulties are not insurmountable.
They disappear before the traveller's sanctified determination. The
ability of anything to give pleasure depends on our feeling in
relation to it. Especially in things of a moral nature. The
regenerated nature of a Christian makes every step of his progress a
source of pleasure. Christians are the happiest of men, partly
because happiness is not sought as their main end (H. E. I.
1080-1084, 4161-4163).
Are you in the way? Keep in it. Turn not aside. Advance toward your
destination. Anticipate arrival.
Are you not in the way? Consider whither you are going. Renounce the
world. Enter the road. Do not say it is hard. Do not say you cannot
encounter the difficulties. God will help.--_J. Rawlinson._
There are a thousand wrong roads, but only one right one. 1. The road
of the text is _the King's highway._ It spans all the chasms of human
wretchedness; it tunnels all the mountains of earthly difficulty; it
is wide and strong enough to hold all the millions of the human race.
The King sent His Son to build the road. He put head, and hand, and
heart to it, and after it was completed cried, "It is finished."
2. It is spoken of as a _clean road._ "The unclean shall not pass
over it" (Prov. xiv. 12; Heb. xii. 14). 3. _A plain road._ "The
wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein." The pardon is
plain. The peace is plain (1 Tim. i. 15). If you are saved, it will
be as a little child (Matt. xviii. 3). 4. _A safe road._ "No lion
shall be there," &c. His soul is safe. His reputation is safe (Ps.
cxxv. 2). 5. _A pleasant road._ God gives a bond of indemnity against
all evil to every man that treads it (Rom. viii. 28; Matt. vi. 26,
28; Prov. iii. 33; 1 Cor. x. 13). He enables him to be glad with a
great joy (Ps. xxvii. 1; Rev. vii. 14, 16, 17; Exod. xv. 1). 6. _What
is its terminus?_ "The ransomed of the Lord shall come to Zion." Zion
is the King's palace, a mountain fastness, impregnable. Heaven is the
fastness of the universe. And Jesus is there!--_T. De Witt Talmage,
D.D.: Christian Age,_ vol. ix. pp. 3-5.
xxxv. 10. _And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, &c._
"Zion," literally speaking, was the proper name of the city where
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David dwelt (2 Sam. v. 7). But the name was also given to the ancient
Jewish polity in church and state (Ps. cii. 13, 16), to the Gospel
Church, with all the spiritual blessings of the Christian
dispensation (Isa. xxviii. 16; 1 Pet. ii. 6, 7); and also to the
Church in glory, or the heavenly state of final and complete
happiness with God and Christ for ever (Heb. xii. 22, &c.) We may
therefore regard this text as revealing _the general features of the
happiness of heaven._
+I. To whom does the hope of heaven belong?+ To "the ransomed of the
Lord," whom He has delivered from bondage and is bringing back from
exile (H. E. I. 2730, 2829-2832).
+III. What do the redeemed realise when they reach heaven?+ "They
shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee
away." In heaven--1. There will be _an entire cessation of every
occasion of grief_ (H. E. I. 1629; P. D. 1753, 1767). 2. _There will
no longer be any possibility of falling._ What a blessed peace will
spring from this fact! In this world the sincerest believers, like
pilots steering into port through narrow and winding channels beset
with sunken rocks and hidden shoals, must work out daily their own
salvation with fear and trembling (1 Cor. ix. 27). But in heaven the
spirits of the just are "made perfect," and, like God Himself,
"cannot be tempted of evil." 3. _We shall meet again with our
long-lost loved ones, never more to part_ (Rev. vii. 15-17; P. D.
2996-2998). 4. _The companionship of saints and angels._ The best and
purest friendships here are often marred by the blots and blemishes
of good men; but there will be no jarring in the exalted fellowships
of heaven. 5. _The possession of Christ and the beatific vision of
God for ever_ (1 Pet. i. 8; Isa. xxxiii. 7).--_R. Bingham, M.A.:
Sermons,_ pp. 128-149.
xxxv. 10. _And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, &c._
360
how the "desert shall rejoice," &c.; it turns, then, to the lower
nature of man himself--"the eyes of the blind shall be opened," &c.;
lastly, it speaks to the spirit of man: the light of God shows a
"highway through the desert of life" on which "the redeemed can walk"
safely; and at the end there is a heavenly Zion of perfection, to
which the "ransomed of the Lord shall come with songs," &c.
+II. When did the prophet look to see his vision fulfilled?+ He may
well have thought first of the all but present deliverance from the
gigantic power of Assyria by the redeeming arm of the Lord. Some such
shadow of fulfilment there may have been, in the last gleam of
unclouded prosperity which ever fell upon Judah, before its sun set
in the great captivity: such shadows of fulfilment may have been felt
in the history of man again and again. Isaiah unquestionably looked
on to the kingdom of the Messiah as the one ideal of a perfect
manifestation of God and a perfect exaltation of man. Such fulfilment
Christ claimed for Himself; but it is in the actual manifestation of
the kingdom of Christ on earth that the prophetic picture is realised
in its fulness.
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hope of a perfect future. Without the realisation of His peace in the
present, without the sure and certain hope of the future, one hardly
sees how man can care to live; one dares not think how he can
die.--_Canon Barry, D.D.: Christian Age,_ vol. xx. pp. 81-83.
362
yourselves. If you can find riders, I will supply 2000 horses." How
could such a puny kingdom withstand the power of Assyria with its
magnificent military equipment? So unbelief tries to undermine faith,
not knowing that God's strength is perfected in human weakness.
Cardinal Cajetan tried to browbeat Luther,--"Do you think that your
electors will take up arms for you? I tell you, no; and where then
will you be?" The brave answer was, "Then, as now, in the hands of
God." 2. Rabshakeh tries to _close the door of Divine help_ (ver. 7).
"How can you expect support from a God whose worship you have
suppressed?" But this was a needful reform, for these rural places of
worship had degenerated into scenes of idolatry. So the enemies of
the faith in our day try to make capital out of the changes and
reforms that have taken place. They point to our ecclesiastical
divisions and theological controversies as an argument against us.
"How can that be true about which there is so much diversity of
opinion? How can Divine help be expected to defend the Christian
faith, when there are so many sects and parties, disestablishment
agitations, and ecclesiastical rivalries?" We answer that there is a
unity among all who love the Lord Jesus, and however much we may
deplore the need of change and reform, we are not to be deterred from
effecting them by any fear of God's displeasure. It can never offend
God to maintain His truth and worship in all their purity (H. E. I.
1372-1374). 3. Another reason for surrender is urged in ver. 10,
where the Assyrian _claims to be commissioned by God_ to destroy the
land. This was only a piece of bluster intended to alarm Jerusalem.
It has its counterpart in our day in those men of science, who come
to us in the name of God with the truths they have discovered, and
throw them in our face as inconsistent with faith in the Scriptures.
But there can be no real disagreement between science and revelation.
We are not going to open our gates to arrogant scientists who claim
that their department embraces everything; to materialists who tell
us that our heaven is six feet below the ground. Let science keep to
its legitimate sphere. It was a good remark made by Professor Ball to
a lady who put to him some questions about comets, to each of which
he replied, "I do not know." "Then," she said, "may I ask what is the
use of your science?" "To let me know, madam," he replied, "that I
cannot know some things" (H. E. I. 538, 539). 4. Rabshakeh presses a
surrender in view of _the hardships the people would have to endure._
He threatens them with famine and thirst, and (vers. 16, 17) promises
them ease and plenty if they will but suppress the sentiment of
patriotism, abandon their confidence, and give up their city into his
hands. This is an old and well-used device to make the believer cower
in the face of trials and privations. But the men of faith are proof
against such selfish considerations. They will fight the Lord's
battles at whatever cost; for however hard their outward lot may be,
they have inward joys which more than counterbalance the loss of all
things. 5. The last argument which Rabshakeh employed is this (vers.
18-20): _Other gods were unable to defend their worshippers against
the victorious march, and why should the Lord be able to defend
Jerusalem?_ This was his last thrust, and was intended to bring home
to the people the utter baselessness of their confidence. This
reasoning is not unlike the patronising tone in which infidels speak
of the Christian religion, as one of the many superstitions, all well
enough for their day, but now effete, or destined to perish before
the advance of intelligence; as one of those venerable systems, all
of which are not losing their hold on the intellect and heart.
363
+III. Why should we still hold to our Christian confidence in spite
of these attempts to overthrow it?+
The agnosticism and infidelity which in our time are so loud and
pretentious are only systems of negation; they have no substitute for
that which they endeavour to destroy. If we allow them to rob us of
our faith, we are spiritually bankrupt, for these destructive
agencies have nothing to satisfy the heart and conscience. Never let
us lower our flag for all their threats and boastful arrogance.
Perhaps the best way to deal with them is that which was followed by
Hezekiah's officers (ver. 21; Matt. vii. 6).
+IV. What will be the end of all the assaults made upon the Christian
faith?+
1. "I do not know that I have thought about the matter; I have left
the matter of dying, and of eternity, and of judgment out of my
consideration." How foolish! There are more gates to death than you
364
dream of. Have not you walked with dying men? Suppose you were sure
of a long life, why delay being happy? Christ says of the rich man in
hell, "He lift up his eyes." He might and should have done so before,
but he said, "Tell my brethren." 2. "I thank God I am about as good
as most people." Company in being ruined will not decrease, but
rather increase the catastrophe. You are trusting in yourself. But is
conscience quiet? Only the absolutely perfect man can be saved by his
own works. 3. "I trust in my priest." Has any priest grace to spare
for you? You are, or may be, as much a priest as any man can be;
Christians are "a royal priesthood." 4. "Well, God is merciful." You
are trusting in the mercy of God; but, as you state it, you are
trusting in what you will never find. If you go to God out of Christ,
you will find Him to be a consuming fire; instead of mercy you shall
receive justice (H. E. I. 2315-2317, 2349-2350). 5. "Well, I do not
say that I can trust to my works, but I am a good-hearted man." There
is much truth in the saying, "If it is bad at the top, it is worse at
the bottom; and if it is not good on the surface, it will never pay
for getting at it" (Jer. xvii. 9; H. E. I. 2669-2680).
To some men this does not look like a real trust. "We cannot see God;
how do we know all this about the Trinity?" Cannot you trust in a
thousand things you have never seen or heard? You have never seen
electricity nor gravity. Those that have trusted in God find Him to
be as real as if they could see Him. "Can we prove that God
interferes to help His people?" Yes, He hears prayer. A Christian is
sometimes asked whether he has a right to trust God. He has God's
promise to help him. "Is He worthy to be trusted?" He has proved
Himself faithful and true. The Christian commends God to others in
saying that he feels he can rest upon Him for the future.
1. _Drive out all unbelief._ With such a God to trust to, let us
trust with all our might. It is an insult to Him to doubt Him. The
devil calls God a liar, but it is hard if a man's own child is to
think ill of his father. We are verily guilty in speaking hard things
of our God. 2. _Seek the Holy Spirit's help._ We have often said we
would not doubt again, yet we have. Let us ask to be strengthened.
We often forget that the Author of our faith must be the Finisher of
it also. 3. Try to _bring others to trust_ where we have trusted
(John i. 40-42, 45). 4. Love Him who thus gives Himself to be trusted
by us. The sister graces ever live together. Show your love. 5. We
must _prove our faith by our works._ Let us do more for God. "No day
without a deed." Cease working and you will soon cease
believing.--_C. H. Spurgeon: Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit,_ vol.
xi. pp. 469-480.
365
xxxvi. 21. _But they held their peace, &c._
Dr. Geikie says of Hezekiah, "Ready for war when necessary, and alike
brave and skilful in its conduct, he was more inclined to the gentle
arts of peace." Among these "gentle arts" should be reckoned his
cultivated gift of prudence. Prudence is undervalued by some, as not
taking rank among the higher virtues, and even sometimes decried as
essentially selfish. But prudence guards the life of the highest
virtue, and thus becomes of almost equal importance with it. Prudence
is short for "providence;" "the provident man," as the phrase is
used, shows prudence in one direction, and is praised for it. Greater
praise is surely due to the all-round prudent man. Prudence in man
is, in one aspect, but the counterpart of providence in God, and
those who are given to esteem it lightly are not pious, like
Hezekiah, but already doubters of, and disbelievers in, the general
and special providence of God, or likely to become so (P. D. 2914).
366
in the world as the Romish doctrine of mediators, but it is equally
mistaken. Blessed is the man who knows of a prophet--a brother-man of
spiritual insight, moral integrity, and Christian courtesy--before
whom he can lay his case! Thrice blessed he who, knowing such an one,
can hold his peace until he has sought and obtained the
Heaven-provided help! God may well hold us insincere if we go to Him
and neglect His servants' aid.
The worshippers find the very walls translucent, the rays of heaven
descend in unbroken brightness there. Silence is the birthplace of
the world's progress, and from the rays of truth that flash into it
are born the grand visions of the prophets of God, and kingly
purposes too; and from these are forged the weapons with which men
shall sweep away the hindrances to all wisdom.--_J. Macrae Simcock._
The message to which our text refers was sent by a foolish king to a
wise one. Look at them both.
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II. THE WISE KING.
A KING IN TROUBLE.
I. HEZEKIAH'S TROUBLE.
368
1. Kings cannot escape trouble. Storms howl on mountain-tops when
sunshine gilds the plains (H. E. I. 47; P. D. 2142, 2143). 2. Neither
does piety prevent trouble. If it were an absolute evil, the
righteous would escape it; but it is often an angel in disguise
stooping to serve them. The best need discipline. The pious are often
more benefited by trouble than by joy (H. E. I. 116-142). 3. Trouble
may arise, not from our own wrong-doings, but from the wrong-doing of
others. Sennacherib's lawless ambition then troubled the whole earth.
God uses evil even to discipline His saints. He knew what Hezekiah
needed, and used Sennacherib to discipline him (H. E. I. 85).
4. Great troubles may be conveyed to us by insignificant means. A
letter only was received; but who can tell what trouble a letter may
convey? 5. Hezekiah's trouble was great. It included--(1.) _The
threatened loss of his kingdom._ He saw before him the loss of all
his greatness and honour. (2.) _Threatened captivity or death._
(3.) _Possible demolition of the royal city._ Jerusalem was dear to
every Jew. Especially so to Hezekiah, who had fortified and
beautified it. (4.) _The ruin and exile of his people._ (5.) _The
dishonour of Jehovah._ Sennacherib had insulted God. If Jerusalem
were taken, His holy and beautiful house would be profaned, His glory
tarnished, and His worship, which had been lately restored,
obliterated from the earth.
All men have not a Divine refuge in trouble. The irreligious cannot
rush into the sheltering arms of God. Hezekiah had done all that a
wise monarch could do to defend his city (2 Chron. xxxii. 1-8), and
after this he committed his way to God. Fanaticism despises means,
but true faith uses them, and then soars above them to rest in
Omnipotence. 1. _Hezekiah sought God, his refuge, in the Temple._ For
the spiritual training of a people who were to be God's witnesses to
the end of time, God's presence was more especially revealed there.
Special promises were given to those who prayed there. Moreover, it
was Hezekiah's accustomed place of prayer. Helpful memories often
crowd around us in places where we have prayed, and bear us up, as
upon eagles' wings, into the Divine presence. 2. _He would set a good
example to the nation._ He would lead his people to seek God in that
day of trouble. 3. _He would publicly manifest his confidence in
God's power to protect and save._ His faith found expression in an
act which honoured God and quickened His people's confidence in Him.
He spread the letter before the Lord. A most significant act--a
prayer in action. Probably done in solemn silence, words afterward
rising to his lips. He would not answer this letter, but would leave
it with God to answer it. Many letters might better be left with God
than answered. If enemies threaten us, let us make God our refuge,
and our deliverance also will be sure (P. D. 779).
The conduct of Hezekiah recited here teaches us _our first duty and
369
best resource in any emergency._ Sennacherib had captured all the
defended cities of Judah, and at length, determining to capture
Jerusalem, he sent a taunting, boastful, threatening letter to
Hezekiah, reminding him of the Assyrian conquests, and warning him
against a vain confidence in the help of his God. This letter
Hezekiah spread before the Lord in earnest prayer. The sequel shows
how wisely he acted, and a consolatory message was sent by Isaiah to
Hezekiah. Sennacherib was not allowed to shoot an arrow against
Jerusalem; his army was destroyed, and he was compelled to return
ignominiously to his own land, where he shortly afterwards perished.
Here we have an example that should be followed by any one harassed,
irritated, alarmed.
2. Connected with Hezekiah's sorrow there was _fear._ The more reason
for spreading his case before the Lord, of all friends the most
willing and able to remove the cause of apprehension. Daniel in the
den of lions, Shadrach and his brethren in the furnace, Paul and
Silas in prison, might be quoted in proof of God's readiness to
deliver His people from fear and danger. Whatever may be the nature
or the source of your fear, spread it before the Lord (H. E. I. 4058).
The good effects of the habit of carrying everything to God are not
limited to those three cases; they extend to every conceivable
circumstance of trial or temptation. They have yet to learn the value
of religion who do not know the difference it makes in a state of
trial and affliction to have the privilege of turning to a reconciled
370
and loving Father, and spreading our calamity before Him, and asking
His tender and strong support. As trials may befall us at any hour,
we should live in constant fellowship with Him (H. E. I.
3872-3879).--_John Marriott, M.A.: Sermons,_ pp. 434-436.
A KING'S PRAYER.
+I. Hezekiah prayed to Jehovah as the God of his nation.+ "O Lord God
of Israel." 1. The nation bore the name of one of its progenitors,
who "as a prince had prevailed with God." The name Israel had been
more generally applied to the northern kingdom, which had already
been overthrown, but Hezekiah claims it for the remnant that was
left. When he uttered that name, did he wish to remind himself of
Jacob's power in prayer, or of God's special interest in His nation?
Perhaps both. God had chosen, defended, saved it. Names which recall
Divine deliverance may encourage us in prayer. 2. His nation was
Jehovah's peculiar dwelling place: "Which dwelleth between the
cherubim." The Shekinah, symbol of the Divine presence, shone forth
from between those weird figures on either side of the mercy-seat.
Hezekiah"s reference to this peculiar Divine manifestation was
intended to suggest that God would protect His own dwelling-place.
This is true. God's dwelling-place is always safe, whether it be a
nation--a man--a church (H. E. I. 1246-1251).
+IV. Hezekiah prayed with great earnestness.+ "Lord, bow down Thine
ear," &c. "Now, therefore, O Lord, our God, _I beseech Thee._"
Fervent desires lead invariably to ardent expressions. Cold prayers
are no prayers. Earnestness is needed, not to lead God to observe our
condition, nor to create in Him a disposition to help us,
but--1. That the strength of our desires may be revealed. 2. That we
may be raised from the low condition of formal devotion. 3. That we
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may have all the spiritual culture which the outcries of real need
may impart. 4. That we may be prepared to receive deliverances
thankfully (H. E. I. 3831-3838, 3893).
A CHRISTIAN PRAYER.
xxxvii. 20. _Now, therefore, O Lord our God, save us, &c._
372
it in this view, and notice--
It is that all mankind may believe in the one true God. Most of the
nations of ancient times believed in a multiplicity of divinities, as
the inhabitants of India do now. But many of these peoples were
devoted to some one god in particular, who was supposed to take their
country under his protection. The gods were local. They did not
exclude each other. In time of war the question, so far as the gods
were concerned, was not which nation was protected by the true God,
but which god was the strongest.
373
worshipped. The God of Christianity can be the object of a worship
that is real so far as the worshipper is concerned, and acceptable to
Him to whom it is presented.
Do you believe in him? Live as you believe. Think what would be the
effect if all did so. Tell it to the heathen. Pray for them in
praying for yourself.--_J. Rawlinson._
When the power and splendour of the family of David were failing, the
prophets foretold that the kingdom of the saints should one time be
restored. Has this promise yet been fulfilled or no? and if
fulfilled, in what sense?
374
inspired persons_ (Acts xv. 13-17). This explains the language of
Moses, in which the perpetual obligation of the law is asserted, "Ye
shall not add unto the word which I command you," &c.; and after
punishment, return of prosperity was promised, on condition of
returning to the law (Deut. iv. 30, xi. 22-25).
1. It may be well said that the prophecies have not been, and never will be,
fulfilled in the letter, because they contain expressions and statements which
do not admit, or certainly have a literal meaning. But the use of figures in a
composition is not enough to make it figurative as a whole; we constantly use
figures of speech whenever we speak, although the main course of our
conversation is to be taken literally. Now this will apply to the language of
the prophets. The words "David," "Israel," "Jerusalem," and the like, are not
so much figures as proper names which have a figurative origin, or words
which,
having first had a confined sense, come, as language proceeds, to have a wide
one. All these words convey a literal truth in their substance.
375
in the event the punishment has come upon them apparently _for
keeping_ it; because they would not change the law for the Gospel,
_therefore_ have they been scattered through the nations. In this it
is implied that in rejecting the Gospel they in some way or other
rejected their law, or that the Gospel is the continuation or
development of the law. In a similar way are the prophecies
concerning the elect _remnant_ fulfilled in the history of the
Christian Church. 2. If the prophecies in their substance certainly
have had a literal fulfilment, then this will follow, viz., that the
very appearance of separation and contrast does but make it more
necessary that there should be some great real agreement and inward
unity between one and the other, whether we can discover what it is
or not on account of which they are called one. All Scripture has its
difficulties; but let us not, on account of what is difficult,
neglect what is clear. Perchance, if we had learnt from it what we
_can_ learn by our own private study, we should be more patient of
learning from others those further truths which, though in Scripture,
we cannot learn from it ourselves.--_John Henry Newman: Sermons on
Subjects of the Day,_ pp. 180-198.
HEZEKIAH'S PRAYER.
376
it" (_Bishop Hall_).
1. _Sickness and death are the common lot of mankind._ Kings are
liable to them as well as beggars (H. E. I. 1536, 1537). 2. _In the
extremity of suffering, when all human help is vain, the righteous
can turn to God._ Pitiable would have been Hezekiah's case, monarch
though he was, if he could only have "turned his face to the wall."
3. _In every extremity, the most powerful of all remedies is prayer_
(H. E. I. 3720-3724). 4. _How promptly God sometimes answers prayer_
(2 Kings xx. 4). 5. _God answers prayer instrumentally._ In this case
He did it by suggesting a simple remedy (ver. 21), which perhaps the
court physicians had thought it beneath their dignity to employ.
6. _Those who have been restored from dangerous illness should make
public acknowledgement of God's goodness._ 7. _How great are our
privileges in possessing the Gospel,_ through which "life and
immortality are brought to light," and death stripped of its terror!
In the market-place of Mayence stands a statue of Free, the
inventor of printing, on the base of which there is this honourable
inscription:--"The knowledge which was once the exclusive possession
of princes and philosophers he has put within the reach of the common
people." A similar statue might be erected to the honour of our
Saviour, who has made those views of the future life which cheered
only a few of the noblest saints (such as David in Ps. xxiii. 6) the
common heritage of the whole Church. No true believer can now be so
much afraid of death as Hezekiah was (1 Cor. xv. 55-57).
FOOTNOTE:
[1] _"And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord: and he
brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had
gone down in the dial of Ahaz."_--2 Kings xx. 11.
How was this wonderful result secured? Did God arrest the
earth as it revolved on its axis, and wheel it round in the
opposite direction? No one who considers what would be the
natural result of such a proceeding, and what a stupendous
series of miracles would have been needed to have prevented
the destruction of all life upon the earth, will think so
for a moment, especially when a course much simpler, and
equally efficacious, is suggested by the very words of the
different narratives. Isaiah indeed says, "So the SUN
returned ten degrees" (xxxviii. 8). But his record of what
seemed to occur must be interpreted by what God had
promised to do: "Behold, I will bring again the shadow of
the degrees, which is gone down in the sundial of Ahaz, ten
degrees backward." And in the narrative in the Book of
Kings it is the _shadow_ and not the sun that is spoken of
throughout. To reverse the shadow in the dial it needed
nothing more than a _miraculous refraction of the light;_
and we believe that this is what occurred, not because it
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was an easier thing for God to do, but because it is in
harmony with all that He does to believe that when two
courses were open to Him, one exceedingly simple and one
exceedingly complex, He would choose the simple course. God
never wastes power. The extraordinary results produced by
the refraction of light are familiar to all who have given
any attention to natural philosophy. The atmosphere
refracts the sun's rays so as to bring him in sight, on
every clear day, before he rises on the horizon, and to
keep him in view for some minutes after he is really below
it. Contradictory as it may sound, on almost any summer
evening you may see the sun at least five minutes after he
is set. It is entirely owing to refraction that we have any
morning or evening twilight. That the rays of the sun can
be so refracted as to cause him to be seen where he
actually is not is thus a matter of daily experience. And
there are some extraordinary cases on record. Kepler, the
great astronomer, mentions that some "Hollanders, who
wintered in Nova Zembla in the year 1596, were surprised to
find that, after a continual night of three months, the sun
began to rise almost _seventeen days_ sooner than he should
have done." This can only be accounted for by a miracle, or
by an extraordinary refraction of the sun's rays passing
through the cold dense air in that climate. In 1703 again,
the prior of the monastery at Metz, in Lothringen, and many
others, observed that the shadow of a sundial went back an
hour and a half. It is thus abundantly plain that the
result related could have been secured by a refraction of
the light, a common occurrence in Nature. The miracle
consisted _in its happening at that particular moment;_
just as in the case of the fish that Peter caught which
contained money. Many fish containing money have been
caught; but there was the miracle--that this fish was
caught at the very time which Christ had indicated. In like
manner the miraculous element in the regression of the
shadow on the sun-dial of Ahaz was its occurring just at
the very time at which it was needed to verify the
prophet's word and strengthen the monarch's faith.
I. A SOLEMN ANNOUNCEMENT.
378
"Thou shalt die." It may be viewed either as the declaration of a
familiar truth or as the prediction of an immediate event. 1. _As the
declaration of a familiar truth._ Nothing is more familiar. The
universal reign of death over all the generations that have preceded
us necessitates the conclusion that, unless we are alive when the
Lord comes, we shall follow them. We are reminded of the truth by
obituary notices in newspapers, by the spectacle of funerals passing
quietly along the streets, by the silent departure of friends. "The
sentence of death has passed upon all men." However long life may be
protracted in individual instance, it never suggests the question
whether they will be exceptions to the general rule. It only suggests
the wonder that in any instance life is so far protracted. The only
uncertain thing is how much longer or shorter than the average our
own life will be. Death may come to us when in fullest health by the
unexpected accident, or by the illness which has been caught we know
not how, or by the subtle disease which silently undermines the
system, eating away the cord that has bound us to life (H. E. I.
1536-1546; P. D. 751, 752).
Nor is this event a mere departure from the present life. To our
friends it is chiefly that. It is their deprivation of all that makes
us interesting and valuable to them. To ourselves it is very much
more. It is the precursor of our appearance before the judgment-seat
of the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor. v. 10; Rom. xiv. 12; Matt. xxv. 34,
41; Rev. xx. 12). It is to us a much more serious matter than passing
into nothingness.
379
that if he were suddenly called away there would be no difficulty.
Every one possessed of property should, in view of the uncertainty of
life, make his will. Many leave this duty to the last. If it has been
so left and sickness comes, it should be one of the first things
done. It will not hasten death. It will save expense. It will secure
the rights of all. It will prevent disputes. It will relieve the
mind. It will leave it free to attend to the soul. 2. _With regard to
your eternal interests._ Think of the soul's future. Are you prepared
for the great journey? Are you ready with your accounts? Recall your
obligations to the Almighty. Consider how they have been discharged.
Overcome your reluctance to a thorough conviction of sin. Let there
be humility, contrition, repentance. Seek mercy. There is a Saviour.
Believe in Him. Yield your heart. If already a Christian, survey the
position. If near death, all this is obviously necessary. If not near
death, or death not apparently near, it is necessary on the ground of
your liability to death. It will come some time. The only safety is
to close with Jesus now.--_J. Rawlinson._
FOOTNOTES:
Most men, when laid aside by sickness, are disposed to turn in their
pain and apparent peril to God who hath smitten, and who alone can
heal; and to prepare for the great change in which the sickness may
terminate. But few when thus called upon know how to set about the
380
work, which they are then ready to allow to be most necessary and
urgent. Even those who have lived outwardly blameless lives, are apt
to be so distressed and confused by fear of death, that they do not
know how to do what will turn the king of terrors into a messenger of
peace, rest, and immortality (H. E. I. 1567, 1568, 1570; P. D. 684,
741, 761). Therefore, let those who are now in health receive some
hints for their behaviour under sickness.
1. The first act of the mind on receiving any warning of our mortal
and most frail condition should be an act of recollection, a solemn
meditation on the power, wisdom, and goodness of the Most High, in
whose hands alone we are, who can kill and make alive.[1] Let us
think especially of the love which He has shown us in the gift of His
Son and the help of His Holy Spirit.
2. When our minds are thus sobered and composed, we must consider
what means are yet within our reach to interest God's power and mercy
in our favour. This may be best accomplished by repentance. To this
an examination of our past life is absolutely necessary.
5. Let us make up our mind to renounce the world entirely, and all
restless hope of recovery; resigning all our prospects entirely into
the hand of God, who is best acquainted with our wants and with the
wants of those whom we are about to leave behind; and who is
infinitely able to protect and provide for us and them (H. E. I. 157,
158, 4055).
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prayer (H. E. I. 177, 178, 3739-3746).
The sins to which the sick and dying are most exposed are evil and
trifling thoughts, unthankfulness, impatience, peevishness, and
hypocrisy. To the first two of these men are liable on any remission
of pain, or appearance of approaching amendment. There is no other
cure for these than an immediate return to prayer and meditation.
These remedies will also keep us from murmuring and ill-temper.
Hypocrisy may seem a strange vice to impute to a sick or dying
person, but it is not uncommon. It is shown in seeking compassion and
kindness by counterfeiting the appearance of greater suffering than
really belongs to our cases, or in the affectation of more faith, or
resignation, or humility, or peace of conscience than either our own
hearts or God will sanction. The desire of worldly praise will
sometimes linger so late, and cling so closely about the affections
of man, that some persons continue to act a part until their voice
and senses fail them.
Let the difficulty of the duties which a sick man has to perform, and
the number and greatness of the temptations to which he is liable, be
an argument with us to leave as little as possible to be done in that
state of weakness and alarm (H. E. I. 4251-4258).--_Reginald Heber:
Sermons,_ vol. i. pp. 92-111.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] This will lead us to submit with more temper and mildness
to whatever means are prescribed for our recovery, and also
to wait their event with less querulous eagerness than if
we corroded our thoughts by the pangs we endure or by the
earthly succours whereby we hope to escape or lessen them.
There is something soothing as well as sublime in the
contemplation of greatness and power. We feel it when we
gaze on the great works of Nature. He whose heart expiates
in the prospect of the ocean or of the starry heaven is for
a time insensible to his own resentments or misfortune, and
is identified, as it were, with the glorious and tranquil
scene before him. One of the principal joys of heaven, we
are told, is the delight of gazing upon God; and even in
this state of mortal darkness and misery, if we can for a
time so forsake the thoughts of earthly things as to call
up to our mind whatever images of greatness, and power, and
perfection the Scriptures have revealed to us concerning
Him, our heart will be filled as by necessity with love and
admiration for an object so glorious, and our resignation
to His decree will become a matter, not only of necessity,
but in some respects of choice. . . . Most unreasonable is
their conduct who, in the beginning of sickness, drive away
all serious thoughts from the soul, through a fear of
injuring the body. Even if this were necessarily the case,
the risk is so far less in dying soon than in dying
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unprepared, that the former danger should be cheerfully
encountered rather than incur the possibility of the
latter. But the cases of sickness are very few in which, at
the beginning of a disorder, such religious considerations
can do our bodily health any harm. On the contrary, that
awe and tranquillity of soul which are induced by them may
in many cases be of real advantage.--_Heber._
II. _True believers may feel reluctant to die because of the doubts
which they entertain with respect to their eternal state._ After
death is the judgment. Their fears may proceed from various causes.
From constitutional temperament, increased by a relaxed state of the
nervous system; from the prevalence of unbelief, the imperfection of
knowledge and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; from the powerful
agency of the god of this world in producing them. A last desperate
effort is made to overthrow faith. While these prevail, recovery from
bodily distress is felt to be a mercy of no ordinary kind (H. E. I.
323).
V. _God may see good to withhold from true believers the comforts of
religion under bodily distress and in their dying moments._ To what
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is the difference in the measure of comfort enjoyed on a death-bed to
be ascribed? The sovereignty of God must here be admitted. Objection
against it here applies equally in other circumstances. The Divine
reasons may be inscrutable to man, although assuredly dictated by
infinite wisdom. The newly converted may die joyfully; the veteran
Christian may have much less comfort. But generally the faithful life
will end, at least, in a peaceful death (H. E. I. 1264).
1. _When He calls them out of the world before they have reached the
limits of life which are to be found in Scripture_ (Ps. xc. 10).
Hezekiah undoubtedly numbered his years according to this standard
when he spoke (at forty years of age) of being deprived of the
residue of his years. 2. _When He calls them out of the world before
they have reached the bounds of life fixed by Providence._ Thought
the Scriptures limit life to seventy or eighty years, yet Providence
often extends it to a longer period, even to a century. Many aged
persons enjoy a large measure of health, strength, and activity;
should any of these be suddenly cut down by disease or accident, they
would be deprived of the residue of their years which they had
anticipated, according to the course of Divine providence in fixing
the limits of life to the aged. 3. _Even those who die before they
have reached the bounds of life which are imposed by the laws of
Nature, may be said to be deprived of the residue of their days._
Nature sets bounds to every kind of life in this world, not excepting
human life. What the natural limit of human life is we cannot tell,
but from the fact that some have survived for over a century and a
half, we may infer that God has deprived the vast majority of the
human race of the residue of their years, and has not allowed even
one in a million to reach the bounds of life which Nature has set.
II. WHY GOD THUS SHORTENS THE LIVES OF MAN AND CUTS OFF THEIR
EXPECTED YEARS.
384
1. Sometimes it is _to teach the living that He is not dependent on
them in the least degree._ Though He can and does employ them in His
service, yet He can lay them aside whenever He pleases, and carry on
His designs without their assistance. Let eminent and useful men like
Hezekiah remember this, that they may not yield to the temptation of
pride (H. E. I. 2218-2219). 2. In order _to teach mankind their
constant and absolute_ dependence upon Himself. This they are
extremely inclined to forget, and their forgetfulness arises in a
great measure from the consideration of the general bounds of life
which Scripture, Providence, and Nature have set. To these well-known
periods they naturally extend their views, desires, and expectations.
But to make them sensible that they still live, move, and have their
being in Himself, God continually deprived one and another, and much
the larger portion of mankind, of the residue of their years. 3. _To
teach the living the necessity of being continually prepared for
another life_ (H. E. I. 1543-1546). 4. _To teach the living the
importance of faithfully improving life as long as they enjoy it._
All men are naturally slothful and strongly inclined to postpone
present duties to a more convenient season. The best and most
industrious of men need the sharp spur of the possibility of sudden
death, and of being called away before their work is complete. When
God cuts down the active and useful in the midst of their days, He
warns us most solemnly (Eccl. ix. 10; H. E. I. 1562-1566). 5. God
sometimes cuts short the days of the wicked _to prevent their doing
evil in the time to come_ (Ps. lv. 23; Prov. x. 27; Eccl. vii. 17).
6. God sometimes shortens the lives of His faithful servants to
prevent their seeing and suffering public calamities. It seems to
have been in mercy to Hezekiah that God added only fifteen years to
his life; had fifty years been added (and then at death he would only
have been ninety), he would have been involved in the dreadful evils
which were coming upon both his family and his kingdom (Isa. lvii. 1).
385
and David died in early manhood, how little comparatively they could
have done for Israel! Since good men are to be rewarded according to
their works, the longer they are permitted to live, the greater
opportunity they enjoy of promoting their own future blessedness.
5. If God always has wise and good reasons for depriving men of the
residue of their years, then _it is as reasonable to submit to His
providence in one instance of mortality as another._ He knows all the
disappointment which a strong man feels in being cut down in the
midst of his days, all acute sorrow that is caused by an untimely
death and He sympathises with it all. He never afflicts willingly,
nor grieves the children of men; He takes no pleasure in giving
anxiety and distress to the dying, nor in desolating the hearts of
the living; and when He does either, it is for a reason that is
infinitely wise and infinitely kind. It behoves us then to say with
Job: (Job xiii. 15, or Job i. 21).--_Dr. Emmons: Works,_ vol. iii.
pp. 79-92.
Show how graciously God deals with all these suppliants when they
sincerely call upon Him.--_Richard Monks: Sermons,_ pp. 230-249.
A good prayer:--1. _For the young man entering upon the duties of
life._ Surrounded by the snares of the world, exposed to many
temptations, and having in himself no strength or wisdom to deal with
them aright. 2. _For the young man entering upon his Christian
course._ Experimentally sensible of the deceitfulness of the heart,
and conscious that there is one ever watchful, every willing to
encourage him in evil (H. E. I. 1061). 3. _For the Christian
perplexed in the path of duty._ 4. _For the Christian on his dying
bed_ (H. E. I. 1570-1593).--_H. Montagu Villiers, M.A.: Sermons,_ pp.
194-211.
386
temptations of life; to effect reconciliation between us and a justly
offended God; to succour us in death; to welcome us in heaven, and to
assign us our place in it.--_Horace Monod._
+II. That a surety has been provided+ (Heb. vii. 22, viii. 6, ix. 15,
xii. 24). Christ was constituted a surety; not _for God to us,_ but
_for us to God._ He undertook to do for us, and in us, what we could
not do for ourselves. Is man a debtor? Christ has paid the debt. Is
man a captive? Christ came to set the captive free. Is man a
criminal? Christ has endured the curse (Isa. liii. 6; 2 Cor. v. 21).
Is man helpless and mortal? Christ has provided everlasting strength
(2 Cor. xii. 9).
+IV. The effects of such application.+ These are many and most
important. In case of Hezekiah several are mentioned. God had sent
him an alarming message. He wept and called upon God. His prayer was
answered. A sign was given. During his sickness and after his
recovery he had great exercises of soul. He thought of death (ver.
10); was annoyed because he was about to be cut off from the worship
of God (ver. 11), and that by a premature death (ver. 12). But was
there not a _remedy_? Yes. _What?_ A believing application to the
Lord as surety. "O Lord, I am oppressed; undertake for me." And what
was the _consequence_? The whole tone of his thoughts was changed. He
now recognises God's hand in the dispensation (ver. 15); sees these
things to be good for his soul (ver. 16); believes his recovery
certain--realises the forgiveness of sin--is enabled to praise God
(ver. 19); can now resolve to teach his children about God's truth
and determine with them to bless and magnify God for ever (vers. 19,
20). Thus the realisation of God as surety, and a believing
application to Him for help, proved the _turning-point_ for good in
Hezekiah's experience.
HEZEKIAH'S RESOLUTION.
387
(_A New-Year Motto._)
I do not know any better commentary on these words than the opening
stanza of Tennyson's _In Memoriam_:--
A good New Year's motto, which harmonises so sweetly with it. Our
past experiences, our dead selves, may be made stepping-stones on
which we may climb to a clearer vision and a loftier devotion. What,
then, was the nature of that pathway of life which this good king
engaged to pursue? What was the prospect which opened up before him?
388
heir to the throne is now able to say, "The father of the children
shall make known thy truth." Does it not become us to ask, Why is my
life prolonged? Why have I been permitted to enter on a new year? Is
it not for this reason, among others, that we may become increasingly
serviceable in advancing the cause of truth? Better far that life
should terminate than that we should live to no purpose, for every
year adds to our responsibilities. Advance, then, into this year
resolved that, God sparing you, you will live more useful lives
(H. E. I. 3228-3251; P. D. 2269).
What more do we need to make this year a happy one than to set
forward with this resolution? We cannot break away from the past. We
are now what it has made us. Our "dead selves" make our living
present selves. From our trials and sorrows we may gain supports for
nobler endeavour. "I shall go softly," meekly, submissively,
prayerfully, "on the bitterness of my soul." Do you wish some spring,
some impulse to send you forward thus in life's pathway? Think of
389
some bitterness in your past experience, some Marah which the Lord
sweetened for you, some trouble from which He rescued you when you
lay on the brink of death, or under the accusations of a troubled
conscience, and make that "dead self" a support for the path before
you.--_William Guthrie, M.A._
Many are prosperous, happy, and at ease. It will be wise for these to
remember that thoughtless prosperity weakens the fibre of the soul
(H. E. I. 3997-4014).
The blow which sobered Hezekiah was a common one. It did nothing more
than bring him face to face with death. The process whereby his
dependence on God was restored was uncomplicated. But there are far
worse shocks than this, and recovery from them into a godlike life is
long and dreadful.
390
this may be? Lapse of time does part of the work. It does not touch
the memory of love. The pain of having a gift thrown aside has
passed; the sweetness of having given remains. When we thought
ourselves farthest from God, we were unconsciously nearest to Him.
And so we are saved, faith is restored. Like Christ, we can say,
"Father, forgive them, for they knew not what they did."
3. Many are conscious, in later life, that their early faith has
passed away. It was unquestioning, enthusiastic. It depended much on
those we loved. Religious feelings which had been without us and not
within, slowly and necessarily died away. Becoming more and more
liberal, we also become more and more unbelieving, and at last
realised that our soul was empty. Are we to settle down into that? It
is suicide, not sacrifice, which abjures immortality and prefers
annihilation. Our past belief was borrowed too much from others.
Resolve to accept of no direction which will free you from the
invigorating pain of effort. Free yourself from the cant of
infidelity. It boasts of love, it boasts of liberality. Its church is
narrower than our strictest sect. Bring yourself into the relation of
a child to a father. We need to come to our second self, which is a
child--to possess a childhood of feeling in the midst of
manhood.--_Stopford A. Brooke: Christ in Modern Life,_ pp. 380-392.
A GREAT DELIVERANCE.
"Thou," &c. In vain does the sinner look within himself or to his
fellow-men for help, but God gives it. Every saint praises God for
his salvation: _"Thou,"_ &c. Note, 1. The _freeness_ of God's
redeeming love. There is nothing in a man wallowing in a pit of
391
corruption to draw out love. Where it is shown, it is a free gift.
2. The _fulness_ of that love. "Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy
back." Some wink at our sins others cast them into our teeth on all
occasions. God does neither. He abhors sin, but when He forgives the
sinner, He forgets the sin (Jer. l. 20; Rom. viii. 33; Ps. xxxii. 2;
H. E. I. 2322-2337).
Why will you die? Bring forth your strong reasons against
salvation.--_M.: Christian Witness,_ xviii. 392-393.
FORGIVENESS OF SIN.
xxxviii. 17. _For Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy
back._
This is part of the song which Hezekiah wrote when he had recovered
from his sickness. He had betaken himself to prayer. The nation,
threatened with invasion from the powerful kingdom of Assyria, could
ill afford to lose its head. His prayer was heard. The prophet was
sent with a new message. The Divine hand was visible, although
ordinary means were employed. This the king fully recognised (ver.
20). God's mercies should not be forgotten when the occasion has
passed.
The king sees the connection of his disease with sin, and the removal
of disease with the removal of his sins. From the text we observe
that the forgiveness of sin is necessary, possible, complete,
knowable.
Until sin is forgiven, it is before the face of God (Ps. xc. 8; Heb.
iv. 13). The accountability of men would be an unmeaning phrase if it
did not involve the idea that an account is taken of his actions.
They are all noted, good and bad, and tested by the Divine standard.
Every man's are before the face of the Supreme Ruler and Judge for
the purpose of being dealt with. This is his case until it is changed
by the exercise of forgiveness. It is useless to ignore the need of
forgiveness under the impression that we can, in some way, remove the
stain. However much good a man may do, the fact of sin remains; and
so long as he is under a law which requires unsinning obedience, the
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good cannot be set against the bad in the hope that the former will
wipe the latter away. Forgiveness of the past is the first necessity.
393
THE SONG OF HEZEKIAH.
xxxviii. 18, 19. _For the grave cannot praise Thee, &c._
God heard Hezekiah's prayer, took pity upon him, turned back the
sundial of his life fifteen years. The good king rejoiced in this
gift of lengthened life: "The grave cannot praise Thee," &c.
Let us follow out this rejoicing of the king, this setting forth the
advantages of the living above the dead. 1. The living are in
possession of the time which is given to make reconciliation with God
and secure an everlasting interest. We are all by nature strangers to
God, enemies to Him in our mind and inclination. We are defiled and
guilty creatures; this is the hour of cleansing, whilst the fountain
stands open in which our sins may be washed away (2 Cor. vi. 2). We
are by nature utterly unfit for heaven; this is the day of repentance
as well as of pardon. At the summons of death we must go, whether
prepared or unprepared, holy or unholy, hoping or despairing. While
your hearts were unholy, your death, had it happened, must have been
dreadful. Let those who have improved this gift of life to make their
reconciliation with God highly value it, and magnify its important
advantages with all the gratitude and zeal of the king of Judah.
2. Life is a precious and golden gift, because it affords a field for
increasing in good works. We are required to be "zealous of good
works." _Zealous;_ not to touch a good work as if we were afraid of
burning our fingers. Such works "are good and profitable to men." The
days and years of life should be numbered by the multitude of good
works, as by the revolutions of the earth. Lost and wasted time
should not come into the account of life. Ah! if we reckoned thus,
what a shrinking and contracting would take place! A Roman emperor, a
heathen, used to say, "I have lost a day," if he had not done any
good action in it. How many are there who live to no purpose at all,
whom the world will not miss when they are gone! How many live to
wicked purposes, and the world is glad to get rid of them! Some are
mere cumberers of the ground; they bear the Christian name, but how
different from Christ! "The night cometh," said He, "in which no man
can work." "Ye are the light of the world," said Christ to His
disciples, and how dark would this earth be were there no disciples
of Christ upon it! "Ye are," said He, "the salt of the earth;" if the
salt were gone, what corruption of manners, what filthy
communications, what odious practices would overspread and defile
394
society! One child of God in a family is like the ark in the house of
Obed-Edom, of which we read, "The Lord hath blessed the house of
Obed-Edom," &c.; or like Joseph in Potiphar's house, of whom we read,
"The Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake," &c. We may
follow up this idea, and say if one child of God is so great a
blessing in a family, many may bless and save whole cities and
nations. We find this to have actually been the case from what is
said of Noah, Daniel, and Job. God said three thousand years ago,
"Righteousness exalteth a nation," and it is equally certain that
wickedness overthroweth it. In all the Old Testament history, we see
how He ascribes prosperity to the keeping of His commandments, and
ruin to the breaking of them. We cannot suppose that it is in any way
different now; that the Ruler of the Universe is in slumber, or,
being awake, has altered the rules of His government. Life, and
especially youthful life, is the time for good works and good
actions; not one can be done in the grave.
Such was Hezekiah's burst of thankfulness when God heard his prayer,
and gave him fifteen years more of life. While the danger lasted, he
was surprised into more of alarm than became his place and character;
but now, marvellously spared, he calls upon the living everywhere to
praise God for His goodness. _His_ case, he feels, was _theirs_ too.
All men alike live upon God's bounty, and are debtors to His
patience. He guards them from evil,--sends them good things, without
which life must be presently extinguished,--renews their being, and
makes it over to them by a fresh grant, not only when the closing
year reminds us of the gift, but at each day's working time.
Therefore Hezekiah is not satisfied with a solitary strain of
thanksgiving. He looks round upon a world teeming with animated,
intelligent beings, and in every brother who God hath made and kept
alive he finds one who should bring in his tribute of praise. He
wants a chorus of rejoicing worshippers.
395
deemed a blessing, and praise for the boon be due anywhere, it can
only be to Him whose providential government of the world is like an
hourly repetition of the creative power which called it out of
nothing.
396
fresh sowing-time for a more abundant harvest.
6. Some among you have special reasons for saying with Hezekiah, "The
living," &c. (1.) This strain belongs to the aged man or woman, who
has already lived beyond the allotted term of human life. In your
feebleness, God has carried you through another stage. Beyond your
expectation, perhaps, you have seen another Christmas. Many are the
mercies of one year, but when they come to be multiplied by near
fourscore, what an array we have then! Praise the Lord! (2.) Some
before me, while the year was running out, thought they should never
see the end of it. Like Hezekiah, you prayed for life when death
seemed to be close upon you. God restored your life to you. What have
you done since to show yourself grateful for that mercy? Have a care
that your mercies do not make your case worse. If they do not melt,
they harden.
He was in the full sense of the word a good king (2 Kings xviii. 3,
5). He was conspicuous--1. For his religious zeal. Though,
politically, it was a hazardous thing to do, he utterly abolished
idolatry in his kingdom. 2. For his religious wisdom (2 Kings.
xviii. 4).[1] 3. For his strong faith. This was shown especially in
his conduct in the matter of the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib.
When we consider these things, we may well understand the high praise
given to Hezekiah; certainly there were few kings like him; perhaps
none who exhibited a ripeness of religious knowledge and a strength
of character so remarkably superior to the times in which he lived.
397
should be pleased with the conduct of the king of Babylon; it was
gratifying to him personally; it augured well for the future, as
concerning his kingdom, that he should be on good terms with the king
of Babylon, now rising into power; but it was unworthy of him to lose
his self-possession in the manner described. (1.) He was evidently
overcome for the nonce by silly feelings of vanity. He seems to have
thought that inasmuch as the king of Babylon had considered him
worthy of the compliment of sending to him, he on his part must show
that he was indeed a very magnificent king, as the king of Babylon
had no doubt heard that he was. (2.) His vanity caused him to forget
how little service his armoury and his treasures had been to him in
the hour of peril (H. E. I. 3998, 4000, 4001, 4011). (3.) His vanity
caused him to forego an opportunity of honouring God and of
instructing his neighbours in Divine truth.[2] Doubtless it was his
failure in duty in this respect that brought upon him so severe a
rebuke (vers. 3-7). 2. The weakness of his character had already
manifested itself in his conduct during his illness. In the prospect
of death his strength of mind quite broke down (ch. xxxviii.) But
there was a difference: in the other case he acted unworthily of his
knowledge; in this case he was weak because he was, compared with
ourselves, weak in religious privileges. He looked to his grave with
such melancholy feelings because he could not clearly see a life
beyond it. The answer of the great riddle of humanity had been
guessed by many before Christ, but His resurrection made the truth
clear (2 Tim. i. 10; H. E. I. 3415). If it were not for the light
which our Lord has thrown into the grave, we should mourn like
Hezekiah, and our eyes would fail as did his. Having more light than
he had, it is our duty to live a nobler life than he did, and not to
be cowards in prospect of death (H. E. I. 1570-1643).--_Harvey
Goodwin, M.A.: Plain Truth Sermons,_ Third Series, pp. 78-92.
FOOTNOTES:
398
It had been sacred once. In the wilderness, when it was
held up as an object upon which the people might gaze, it
would have been a sacrilege to mutilate it; but now it was
but "a piece of brass," and if that piece of brass be the
centre of a system of idolatry, there is but one safe
course, and that is to destroy it.--_Goodwin._
The extent to which Hezekiah came under the censure of God in this
matter we shall not now further consider. We shall extend the
application of this question to the matter of _home life and home
influence._ So it has a bearing on all of us. "What have they seen in
_thy_ house?"
II. In the home each member of the family should be seen faithfully
discharging the duties of his or her relationship to it; husbands,
399
wives, fathers, &c.
HEZEKIAH TRIED.
+II. In his trouble he sought the Lord+ (ch. xxxviii. 2, 3). He made
solemn vows of what he would do if spared (ch. xxxviii. 15). When
partially restored, he renewed his vows (ch. xxxviii. 19). Thus
believers in every kind of trouble should seek comfort of God in
earnest prayer; nor is it improper then solemnly to give ourselves to
God, and renew our vows. We are encouraged to do this by the speed
with which a gracious answer was sent to Hezekiah (ch. xxxviii. 4,
5). Isaiah was hardly gone out from pronouncing the judgment when he
was sent back with a message of mercy (2 Kings xx. 4-5). How
wonderfully compassionate is God to His feeble people! Their poor,
trembling prayers, uttered in fear and doubting, are heard and
answered. He not only hears prayer, but answers directly (Dan.
ix. 20-23).
400
proclaim the power and goodness of God to these heathens! Alas! he
shows them all his riches, &c., but of God and His temple he says
nothing. Flattered and betrayed by the world (vers. 3, 4), what a
heart his and ours must be! _How could this be?_ We are told
(2 Chron. xxxii. 31) that such is man when left to himself! We are
never in greater danger than after seasons of great mercy and special
providences (H. E. I. 4902-4904).
+IV. He humbly received the rebuke that was sent to him+ (text).
Here the habit of his mind appeared: he had fallen into the sin of
vanity, but humility and resignation to the will of God, especially
to His afflicted dispensations, were his usual characteristics. A
clear evidence of true godliness, meekly and cheerfully to submit to
fatherly correctives. Aaron (Lev. x. 1-3), Eli (1 Sam. iii. 18), the
bereaved mother (2 Kings iv. 26), David (Ps. cxix. 75).
I. THE REBUKE.
The character of Hezekiah is well known. One of the very best of the
kings of Judah (2 Kings xviii. 3-7). Nevertheless even in this
excellent man there were moral weaknesses which were displayed when
his physical malady was removed. The arrival of the Babylonian
ambassadors excited within him hopes of political advantages arising
from alliance with the idolatrous king whom they represented, and in
order to impress the envoys with a sense of his importance, he made
an ostentatious display of his wealth (ver. 2). This displeased the
Lord. Why? 1. Because Hezekiah let slip a favourable opportunity of
making known to the heathen the glory and the goodness of the God of
Israel.[1] 2. Because his ostentation made it plain that pride was
usurping the throne of his heart (2 Chron. xxxii. 26).
But this was not the habitual frame of Hezekiah's mind; he was a good
man, and therefore God lovingly chastened him. If it had been the
wicked Ahab who had done this deed, the Lord might possibly have
taken no notice of it; He might have left that idolatrous sinner to
have followed his own devices. But seeing this evil spirit begin to
show itself in a pious and humble man, the Lord mercifully and
savingly interposes to check it in the beginning (vers. 3-7).
401
II. THE MANNER IN WHICH IT WAS RECEIVED.
FOOTNOTES:
402
ADDITIONAL OUTLINES.
* * * * * * * *
"We are wise." So spake the Greek of old in the pride of his
intellectual powers, and so speak many in our own day who have
imbibed the spirit of the Greek. Reason is a wonderful faculty, and
there have not been wanting, in any age of the world, those who have
felt elated by their successful exercise of it. It can look before
and after, deriving experience from the past and suggestions
provision against the future. It can explore the hidden secrets of
Nature and render the world of matter subservient to man; it can turn
in upon itself and speculate upon its own processes; nay, it can
teach us something of the existence and attributes of the Most High.
Such being the triumphs of reason, it can hardly be matter of wonder
that the wise men of this world plume themselves on the attainment of
those triumphs.
Our text implies two things--1. That the religion subsisting between
the brute creation and man is in some measure similar to that which
subsists between man and God; and, 2. That the acknowledgement made
by dumb animals of their relation to mankind strangely contrasts with
the natural man's refusal of acknowledgement to God.
The dumb creature recognises the master whose property it is: "The ox
knoweth his owner." What constitutes man's right of ownership in the
ox? Simply the fact that he bought it. He did not create it. If he
supports its life, it is only by providing it with a due supply of
food, not by ministering to it momentarily the breath which it draws,
403
nor by regulating the springs of its animal economy. That is the sum
of his ownership. _But what constitutes God's right of ownership in
us, His intelligent and rational creatures?_
3. Our text suggests another detail of the claims which our Heavenly
Owner has upon our allegiance: "The ass knoweth his master's crib."
He knows the manger at which he is fed and the hand that feeds him.
Here is a palpable claim upon regard, although by no means so high as
those previously advanced. It is a claim appreciable by the senses,
capable of being understood and responded to by the mere animal
nature. In palliation of man's neglect of those claims of God which
are established by creation and redemption, it might haply be pleaded
that he is a creature of the senses, and that the facts of creation
and redemption are not cognisable by them. These stupendous facts are
transacted and past. But even this paltry justification is entirely
cut off by the fact here implied, that man is indebted to God for his
daily maintenance, for the comfort and the convenience even of his
animal life.[1]
Observe, also, that it is not the brute creation _in a savage state_
whose relations towards men are here drawn into comparison with the
relations of man towards God. To illustrate his argument the inspired
writer has chosen instances from the domestic animals, who share
man's daily toils, live as his dependants, and are familiarised by
long habit with their master's abode and ways of life. In drawing out
the contrast, he does not mention mankind generally, but "_Israel_
doth not know, _my people_ doth not consider." It were in some
measure excusable that the heathens should refuse acknowledgement to
the living God, whom they know not. But what shall we urge in
extenuation of the indifference of "Israel," who from his very
infancy has been of the household of God, domesticated by the hearth
of the Universal Parent, and furnished with every means of access to
His presence?
404
The cattle "know" or recognise the voice of their owner; his call
they heed, in his steps they follow; irrational creatures though they
be, they are not insensible to their benefactor's fond cares. What a
cutting reproof of the insensibility of God's people!
FOOTNOTES:
405
draw us towards Him in bonds of gratitude and love.
1. Man, when he came fresh from his Creator's hands, must have had in
his soul the principle of all kind affections (Gen. i. 27), a state
of feeling that would have been struck with horror at the thought of
inflicting suffering. Yet in the first family of man war and
slaughter began. Men may argue and quibble against our notion of
_"the fall,"_ but here was fall enough! and demonstration enough!
3. War prevailed among the race descended from Noah. It was by the
descendants of the only faithful friend and servant of the Almighty
found on earth that the desolated world was to be repeopled, and we
might have hoped for a better race, if human nature were
intrinsically good, or corrigible by the most awful dispensations.
But the Flood could not cleanse the nature of man, nor the awful
memory of it repress the coming forth of selfishness, pride,
ambition, anger, and revenge. (1.) The history of the Jews is to a
406
large extent a history of wars. (2.) The history of the other races
is a history of their conflicts with each other, of a terrible
process by which the smaller states were absorbed in others, until
they were all included in the Roman empire. How many millions of
human beings were destroyed in the process! (3.) Since that period
the history of the world has been to a large extent written in
blood.[1]
407
And yet is it _man_ that is to be universally at peace! How can it
be? (2 Kings vii. 2). Vicious selfishness, ambition, envy, rivalry,
rapacity, revenge, these are the things in men that cause wars
between them, on the small scale and the great. How can these ever be
so repressed, subdued, extirpated, that all war shall cease?
408
may condemn and profess to deplore it. Such individuals are not fit
for that future terrestrial "kingdom of heaven."--_John Foster:
Lectures, Second Series,_ pp. 142-173.
FOOTNOTES:
[2] Almost four or five years since, our Government had a war
with the Pindarees--a terrible assemblage of outlaws,
robbers, and murderers, to the number of fifty thousand,
occupying a strong and almost inaccessible tract on the
northern frontier. Thence with impetuous rapidity, they
rushed down, all horsemen, on the country, inhabited by a
population of cultivators; seized whatever could easily be
carried off, and with furious eagerness demolished, burnt,
destroyed the rest. But far more than this, they were
universally possessed with the spirit of murder; they
killed the people without regard to sex or age. Not only
so, but when sufficiently at leisure for such amusement,
they inflicted excruciating tortures previous to death.
409
Christianity in marching his armies with a celerity
unparalleled in that climate, and encountering,
intercepting, and exterminating the murderers, so that the
surviving people could feel themselves in peace.
* * * * * * *
410
states in the world; they have not been, with all their
might, fighting and slaying each other and neighbouring
nations for centuries, almost without intermission, down to
this time! In the French revolutionary government, which,
after a time, became essentially warlike, there were more
philosophers, speculative, literary men, than ever in any
other. In our own country, through the last half-century,
the enlightened and civilised people (often so described
and lauded at least) have needed but a little excitement,
at any time, to rush out into war. Our institutions of
learning, and even theology, have constantly abetted the
spirit. An ever-flowing, impetuous stream there has been of
oratory, poetry, and even pulpit declamation, mingling with
and inspiriting the coarse torrent of the popular zeal for
battles and victories. We have had both poets and divines
actually sending the most immoral heroes to heaven, on the
mere strength of their falling in patriotic combat. All
this tells but ill for the efficacy of civilisation,
literature, refinement, and the instruction of experience
to promote the spirit of peace, without the predominance of
some mightier cause.--_Foster._
(_Advent Sermon._)
Two questions: What is "that day?" How shall the Lord then be exalted?
I. _"That day."_ "The first five verses of this chapter foretell the
kingdom of the Messiah, the conversion of the Gentiles, and their
admission into the Church. From the sixth verse to the end is
foretold the punishment of the unbelieving Jews for their idolatrous
practices, their confidence in their own strength, and distrust of
God's protection; and, moreover, the destruction of idolatry in
consequence of the establishment of Messiah's kingdom."--_Lowth._ But
here, as in many other portions of Scripture, a larger and remoter
meaning looms beyond and behind the first sense of the expressions,
which would otherwise be too big and swelling for the actual
411
interpretation of them. Compare the description in which the text
twice occurs with the almost parallel passages in chap. v. 14-16. How
magnificent! What startling terms! What emphatic iterations! Surely a
want of fitness and congruity would almost be felt if expressions
such as these referred _only_ to some temporal calamity of the Jewish
nation; surely we cannot mistake in looking onward to some mightier
catastrophe, to some final exaltation of God and abasement of all
creatures. By "_that_ day," therefore, we mean what is elsewhere
called "_the_ day," "the great day," "the day of judgment," "the
great and terrible day of the Lord"--the consummation of all things.
When that day shall come I do not know, and I am content to remain in
ignorance. It may come suddenly, without warning, unannounced. Then
it is for men always to have their lamps burning and their hearts in
readiness, lest they be taken by surprise. It may come with great
signs preceding and accompanying it. Then it is for men, according to
their capacity, to note and discern those signs. It is the very
uncertainty connected with it that is to make us watchful (Matt.
xxiv. 36, 42). We are to be vigilant and observant, without
pretending to determine what God has left unrevealed. Such attempts
have in all ages been made, and in all ages have been falsified. The
failure of those attempts has not only covered those who made them or
believed in them with ridicule, it has brought into discredit the
sacred Book which the aim was to expound. It is our first duty and
highest interest to be at every moment prepared; but a far other and
better preparation may, and must be made for it, than in the futile
endeavour to discover its precise date.[1]
1. How is this possible? Is not God always exalted far above all
blessing and praise? He will then be exalted in the sense in which He
is now said to be glorified. He will be exalted in the visible homage
and submission of an assembled universe. He will be exalted by the
full manifestation of His attributes, in their unclouded and
effulgent lustre, but the exhibition, before men and angels, of His
412
omnipotence and justice, His wisdom and truth, His love and mercy, of
the holiness of His law, the equity of His administration, the
abundance of His grace, so that all hearts shall be bowed down at His
footstool, and every mouth shall be stopped.
(1) The text may lead our minds to other deities as opposed to
Jehovah. They shall indeed be gone; in that day they shall be seen to
be less than the least of all their worshippers.
(2) It will be the great day of the disclosure of all things; and all
creatures shall see the Lord as He is, and themselves also as they
are. Therefore shall all the highest orders of celestial
intelligences, the cherubim and seraphim, and all the ranks of
existence which may occupy the interval between man and His Maker,
veil their faces before His throne; they shall be as nothing in _His_
sight. Then shall all creatureship fall low before the one Creator;
all derived, dependent being shall shrink into its true dimensions
before the Absolute, the Eternal, the I AM.
(3) Even Christ Himself, His office as the Messiah having been
accomplished, and His administration of the Church, in His human
character, being brought to a close, shall resign His mediatorial
sway (1 Cor. xv. 24-28; H. E. I. 985).
(4) But our chief concern, as we are men, is with humanity: "The
lofty looks of _man_ shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of _man_
shall be bowed down; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day."
That day shall indeed declare the impotence of human power, the
emptiness of human ambition, the nothingness of human renown.[3] The
very circumstances on account of which men have most lifted
themselves up in their lifetime will be the occasions of their
profoundest humiliation then.
In that day our sinfulness shall sink us into the dust, and cover us
with shame and confusion even more than our vanities. Shall any one
of us hope then to be exalted, when the memories of us all shall
retrace so many sterile and unproductive intensions, so many good
impressions never fostered and ripened into fruits of righteousness,
so many talents misused by our iniquity, or buried by our idleness?
Then there shall be no more concealments, no more deceits, no more
false excuses, no more of those pretences, equivocations,
subterfuges, and sophisms which our reason is now so fatally
ingenious in playing off upon itself (P. D. 661, 2106). Oh, think of
these things, and let not your sins be dearer to you than your
salvation. Think of them ere the night cometh, and the sun of your
probation has quite gone down.
413
manifest to all orders of being the infinite value and superiority of
moral goodness, the infinite preciousness of a holy obedience above
and beyond all else; then God, who sees it in secret, will reward it
openly. When the wicked shall be turned into hell, with all the
people that forget God, the righteous shall shine forth as the stars
of heaven. Therefore estimate all things _now_ as you will estimate
them then. Lean less upon earth and man and the things present, set
your affections more upon the things to come, upon heaven, and upon
the Ruler of heaven. Cultivate diligently those dispositions which
are pleasing in His sight. For then, when all social forms shall have
vanished away, when all material substances shall have been
obliterated, as the shapes in a cloud, and dissipated as the morning
dew, your moral temper will abide with you, and your spiritual state,
as discerned by the unerring Judge, will decide, and will attend,
your immortal destiny (H. E. I. 720).--_James Shergold Boone, M.A.:
Sermons,_ pp. 359-399.
FOOTNOTES:
414
withdraw the curtain of obscurity from between us and that
supreme future. We may well be content that our
apprehensions should be vague, when the language of the
Bible is not definite, and when we find rather the sublime
and half-luminous gloom with which poetry or painting can
invest its delineations, than the sharp and precise outline
which the chisel can carve.--_Boone._
[3] What shall they all be, the strong rivalries and
contentions, which shall have been hushed in the grave; the
towering structures of vanity and earthly hope, which shall
have been crushed before the moth; the schemes and
plottings, the contrivances and expectations, the struggles
and triumphs, which shall have been dropped into the
burial-place where the worm is feeding on them! Oh, the
thrones and dominions of mortality, the crowns and
sceptres, the regal splendours and the imperial sway, how
shall they then be reduced to their real and intrinsic
insignificance! The victories of the warrior who conquered
in a hundred fights, and the projects of the politician,
whose statesmanship could grasp the globe; the famous men
and heroes of the earth, with the poets who celebrated
them, and the historians who recounted their exploits, what
shall they be before the word of Omnipotence! The learning
and science of the philosophers who framed their system of
the universe for the admiration of posterity, what shall
they be, before the blaze of illumination which shall be
poured upon us in another world! The pageantries of courts
and palaces; the banquets and the wine-cups, the spectacles
and the entertainments, the mirrors and the lamps, the
golden furniture of pomp, and the flowing robe of luxury;
the great and the affluent, whose patronage was requested
for busy undertakings, who were besieged with flattery and
obsequiousness from morning to night; the noble and the
beautiful, who gathered homage as they moved; the writers
and the orators, whose popularity was unbounded, and who
lived amidst the incense of human applause; they, and all
that appertained to them, where and what shall they be, as
we stand poor, and naked, and miserable before Him with
whom we have to do! They, the heedless and the selfish,
swimming in pleasure, who thought that the whole voyage of
life was to be like Cleopatra's passage along the Cydnus,
one scene of mirth and gorgeousness; of prodigal
dissipation and fatal revelry, with soft music and delicate
odours floating in the air; what shall become of _them_!
How black and cold shall be the cinders of their joy!
415
the very echoes of which will have departed. The pompous
titles with which the vanity of man was pampered; the
distinctions which kings could confer, or heraldry
emblazon; privileges of caste, nobility of blood, the pride
of ancestry, the blaze of reputation, the splendour of
talents, shall then be confounded, one and all, as
frivolous toys and trifling baubles. The mighty ones of the
earth shall be no more than they who were of the poorest
condition; the great shall stand abashed with the mean, the
learned with the ignorant, monarchs with their subjects,
senators and princes, commanders of fleets and armies, the
loftiest and most renowned by the side of the husbandman
and the labourer; for what shall they all be in contrast
with Him, the Universal Creator, whose dwelling-place is
eternity, and to whom belong, throughout all ages, all
glory and dominion, sovereignty and praise!--_Boone._
But is this so? Review the means provided and proffered for our
rescue, and let us see whether any of us can be other than silent. If
we were arguing with a man who disbelieved the existence of God, we
should probably reason up from the creation to the Creator. Our
adversary might challenge us to prove that nothing short of Infinite
Power could have built and furnished the planet. It may be allowed
that certain results lie beyond human agency, and yet disputed
whether they need such an agency as we strictly call Divine. We do
416
not, therefore, maintain that the evidences in creation are the
strongest which can be conceived. Hence we should not perhaps feel
warranted in saying to the atheist, "What more could have been done
to produce belief in you if you resist all these tokens of God in
Nature?" But if we cannot say to the atheist, when pointing to the
surrounding creation, "What more could have been done that has not
been done for your conviction?" we can ply the worldly-minded with
this question when pointing to the scheme of salvation through
Christ. We deny that the worldly-minded can appeal from what God has
done on their behalf to a yet mightier interference which imagination
can picture. It is the property of redemption, if not of creation,
that it leaves no room for imagination. Those who turn with
indifference from the proffers of the Gospel are just in the position
of the atheist who should remain such after God had set before him
the highest possible demonstration of Himself. It is not, we think,
too bold a thing to say that, in redeeming us, God exhausted
Himself--_He gave Himself._ And we may not argue that, resisting what
has been granted, you demonstrate that you cannot be overcome, and
thus your condemnation is sealed by the incontrovertible truth
involved in the question of the text?
Looked at more in detail, the argument is--+I. As much has been done
as could have been done, because of the Agency through which man's
redemption was effected.+ In looking at the cross, considering our
sins as laid on the Being who hangs there in weakness and ignominy,
the overcoming thought is, that this Being is none other than the
Everlasting God, and that however He seem mastered by the powers of
wickedness, He could by a single word, uttered from the altar on
which He immolates Himself, scatter the universe into nothing, and
call up an assemblage of new worlds and new creatures.--_What a
condemning force this throws into the question of the text!_ If it
give an unmeasured stupendousness to the work of our redemption, that
He who undertook, carried on, and completed that work was "the
brightness of the Father's glory and the express image of His
person," then surely what has been done for the "vineyard" proclaims
us ruined if we bring not forth such fruits as God requires at our
hands.--_If the extent of what has been done may be given in evidence
that if it prove ineffectual there remains nothing more to be tried,
what say you to the justice of the question? what to the condemnation
under which it leaves the worldly-minded and rebellious?_
+II. As much has been done as could have been done, regard being had
to the completeness and fulness of the work, as well as to the
greatness of its Author.+ We might have been sure beforehand that
what the Divine Agent undertook would be thoroughly effected. The
sins of the whole race were laid on Christ. There is consequently
nothing in our own guiltiness to make us hesitate as to the
possibility of _forgiveness._ The penalties of a violated law have
been actually discharged.
417
+III. We are bound to regard the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the grand
revelation of future punishment and reward.+ Until the Redeemer
appeared and brought more direct tidings from the invisible world,
the sanctions of eternity were scarcely, if at all, brought to bear
on the occupations of time. So imperfect had been the foregoing
knowledge regarding the immortality of the soul that Paul declared of
Christ that He "abolished death, and brought life and immortality to
light by the Gospel." Much of what has been done for the "vineyard"
consists in the greatness of the reward which the Gospel promises to
righteousness, and the greatness of the punishment which it denounces
on impenitence.
It was not redemption from mere temporary evil that Christ effected.
Redemption does not make men immortal, but, finding them so, it sheds
its influence throughout their unlimited existence, wringing the
curse from its every instant, and leaving a blessing in its stead.
The Gospel sets before us an array of motives, concerning which it is
no boldness to say, that, if ineffectual, it is because we are
immovable; if heaven fails to attract, hell to alarm--the heaven and
the hell opened to us by the revelation of Scripture--it can only be
because of a set determination to continue in sin. _What more could
have been done for the vineyard?_ If you are waiting to be forced,
you are waiting to be ruined. "Seek the Lord while He may be found;
call on Him while He is near."--_Henry Melvill, B.D.: Golden
Lectures,_ pp. 485-492.
MORAL PERVERSITY.
418
it with so many qualifications and exceptions as almost to render it
a rule more honoured in the breach than the observance. But who does
not know that men are often worse in the bent of their affections
than in the general drift of their discourse? If we err, therefore,
in the application of the test proposed, we are far more apt to err
in favour of the subject than against him. He who is invariably
prompted, when there is no counteracting influence, to call evil good
and good evil, is one who, like the fallen angel, says in his heart,
"Evil, be thou my good!" and is, therefore, a just subject of the woe
denounced by the prophet in the text.
+I. The expression is descriptive of those who hate good and love
evil--not of those who err as to what is good and what is evil.+ A
rational nature is incapable of loving evil, simply viewed as evil,
or of hating good when simply viewed as good. Whatever thing you
love, you thereby recognise as good; and what you hate or abhor, you
thereby recognise as evil. No man can dislike a taste, or smell, or
sound which at the same time he regards as pleasant, nor can he like
one which he thinks unpleasant. But change the standard of
comparison, and what appeared impossible is realised. The music which
is sweetest to your ear may be offensive when it breaks the slumber
of your sleeping friend; the harshest voice may charm you when it
announces that your friend still lives. The darling sin is hated by
the sinner as the means of his damnation, though he loves it as the
source of present pleasure. When, therefore, men profess to look upon
that as excellent which in their hearts and lives they treat as
hateful, and to regard as evil and abominable that which they are
seeking after and which they delight in, they are not expressing
their own feelings, but assenting to the judgment of others. And if
they are really so far enlightened as to think sincerely that the
objects of their passionate attachment are evil, this is only
admitting that their own affections are disordered and at variance
with reason. It is as if a man's sense of taste should be so vitiated
through disease, that what is sweet to others is to him a pungent
bitter. So the sinner may believe, on God's authority or man's, that
sin is evil and holiness is good, but his diseased eye will still
confound light with darkness, and his lips, whenever they express the
feelings of his heart, will continue to call good evil and evil good.
419
especially prevalent, but by no means limited to that age or country;
and these are set forth, not as the product of so many evil
principles, but as the varied exhibition of that universal and
profound corruption which he had just asserted to exist in general
terms. 1. _The avaricious and ambitious grasping after great
possessions, not merely as a means of luxurious indulgence, but as a
distinction and a gratification of pride_ (ver. 8). To such the
prophet threatened woe (ver. 9), and to such the Apostle James also
(James v. 4). 2. _Drunkenness_ (ver. 11). Here also the description
of the vice is followed by its punishment, including not only
personal but national calamities, as war, desolation, and captivity.
3. _Presumption and blasphemy_ (vers. 18, 19). 4. _Moral perversity,_
as set forth in the text. 5. _Overweening confidence in human reason
as opposed to God's unerring revelation_ (ver. 21). 6. _Drunkenness,
considered,_ not as in the former case, as a personal excess,
producing inconsideration and neglect of God, but _as a vice of
magistrates and rulers, and as leading to oppression and all
practical injustice_ (vers. 22, 23).
This view of the context is given for two reasons--1. To show that in
this whole passage the prophet refers to species of iniquity familiar
to our own time and country; and 2. Chiefly to show that we have in
the text the description of a certain outward form in which the
prevailing wickedness betrayed itself. An outward mark of those who
hate God and whom He designs to punish is their confounding moral
distinctions in their conversation. Consider, then--
420
vi. 1, 2, 5-7. _I saw also the Lord, &c._
421
were commissioned.
422
and anon presented to us of being useful to our fellow-men; and to
watch for, seize, and improve such opportunities is not the least
important of these branches of active service (P. D. 40, 3567, 3569).
FOOTNOTES:
[1] If this be the case with any of us, if, with the busy
occupation of the hands in the furtherance of religious
objects, we have glimpsed the inward life of communion with
God to decline, how painfully do we resemble those virgins
who took no heed to provide for their dying lamps a
continual supply of oil! The profession which we have made
before men, however bright its blaze, will one day be shown
to have been delusive--to have been destitute of those
animating principles of faith and love from which alone can
flow an acceptable service.--_Goulburn._
423
A restoration to that spiritual condition is his profoundest
necessity, his want of wants. The recovery of holiness involves the
recovery of all other good. There seem to be, in the nature of the
case, _five states through which the soul must pass in this
all-important and glorious transit._
III. A REMOVAL OF THE CRUSHING SENSE OF GUILT. "Then flew one of the
seraphim unto me, having a live coal in his hand," &c. Three thoughts
are suggested by this--1. _There are Divine means for the removal of
sin._ This "live coal," this altar, and seraphim in the vision,
symbolise this truth. 2. _The means are something in connection with
sacrifice._ Fire is a purifying element, and is regarded as the
emblem of purity. This "live coal" was taken from the altar of
burnt-offering. The fire of that altar as at first kindled by the
Lord, and ever afterward kept burning. What is the power that takes
away sin? The Divine Word in connection with Christ's sacrifice--the
doctrine of the Cross. This, like "fire," has a purifying power.
3. _The means are employed by a Divinely-appointed ministry._ Let
that seraph stand as the emblem of a true minister, and we see that
his work is to take the purifying elements from the altar and apply
them to men.
424
IV. AN EVER-OPEN AND SENSITIVE EAR TO THE VOICE OF GOD. "I heard the
voice of the Lord, saying," &c. Three thoughts will develop the
general and practical meaning of these words--1. _God has deep
thoughts about our race._ The Bible reveals some of these thoughts,
and so does Nature. 2. _Just as the soul is cleared of sin does it
become conscious of these thoughts._ Let the conscience be thoroughly
cleared of sin, and it will hear the voice of God in every sound and
see His glory in every form. The universe to a holy being is the
tongue of God (P. D. 2545, 2552, 2560, 2563, 2564). 3. _This
consciousness of the Divine thoughts about our race is a necessary
stage in the moral progress of the soul._ It is only thus we walk
with God, as Enoch did of old.
SANCTUARY IN GOD.
Not a few mourn, in the midst of a busy, bustling age, the loss of
sacredness in life. Not the false "sacred"--that which is merely
ascetic separation from life and duty; nor that which is merely
solemn "sacred"--the dull heavy monotony of gloominess.
425
faith and love which flow still from Zion's sacred hill.
II. THE SACREDNESS THAT MAKES SANCTUARY IN GOD HIMSELF. "_He_ shall
be for a sanctuary." He whom wicked men dread and flee from; for, as
of old, darkness cannot dwell with light, nor irreverence with
reverence, nor mammon-worship with devotion to God. We may carry very
bad hearts into very beautiful places. Place is easily made unsacred,
but into fellowship with God there can enter nothing that is false,
or worldly, or vile. "Sanctuary in a person?" Yes; for even here, in
this dim sphere of earthly friendship, our best sanctuaries, apart
from Christ, have been men and women,--those who bear His likeness,
and who do His will. "Sanctuaries?" Yes; for with them we are ashamed
of unworthy motive, of impure thought, of unsacred aim. Take Christ
with you, and every place is sacred. This is our living sanctuary; we
abide in Him who says, "I am He that liveth, and was dead, and behold
I am alive for evermore." And if by His own Divine nature He is a
sanctuary, He is also by _experience_ too. How much the human
sanctuary of friendship is beautified when there is _oneness of
feeling_ about the battle and burden of life! It is nothing, then,
that when we speak of sanctuary in Christ we should mean "sympathy,"
all that belongs to a brother born for adversity--to Him who, as a
"Man of Sorrows," was "acquainted with grief" (liii. 9)? We know
indeed but little of the realities of religion unless we have found
such a living sanctuary in Christ Jesus the Lord (H. E. I. 968-975).
III. THE SACREDNESS OF ALL THE FUTURE DAYS. "He shall be." Names vary
in interpreting what God is to suit need and experience. We translate
the want, and then God's name is translated to meet it. I am
hungry--He is Bread; thirsty--He is Water, &c. The word "sanctuary"
meets special wants. Life is not always a seeking for a refuge, but
it is so especially at certain times and in strange and desolate
experiences. We are alone in a strange city. The child must leave
home to teach, to toil, to live; the weakness will come which
presaged decline and death; the soul does feel that some lights are
lost to faith and that others are going dim. He _shall_ be for a
sanctuary. Let the hours come; He will come too. Who can make retreat
into his own heart and find perfect sanctuary there? Christ alone
could do _that._ We cannot. Nature cannot afford us the sanctuary we
need; she has healthy anodynes of atmosphere that afford us deep and
quiet retreats, but sanctuary, in the highest sense, she has not.
Christ, and He alone, will be now and for ever a sanctuary (H. E. I.
2378-2387).
426
WISE LESSONS FROM WICKED LIPS.
Jesus said, "The children of this world are in their generation wiser
than the children of light," meaning that they excel them in
shrewdness and tact. Men of the world do not readily submit to defeat
and failure, but strive to convert defeat into victory, and failure
into success. In this respect, therefore, the children of this world
are worthy of imitation. Within the spiritual, Christian sphere we
might well emulate them in the determined, hopeful, persevering,
progressive, patient spirit with which they prosecute their affairs.
Of this the text affords illustration. The children of this world, of
whom it speaks to us, are worthy of our imitation in the following
respects:--
+II. They were inspired with hopefulness.+ Their bricks fell down,
but their spirits fell not into the pit of despair. Their sycamores
were cut down, but their ambition was not. They viewed the desolation
not without sadness, but in the midst of it all _"Nil Desperandum"_
was the song which they sang. And that is the spirit of the world
427
to-day. So the Christian ought to be hopeful. You have fallen! Say,
"I will rise again." Your schemes have failed! Say, "I will try
again." You are afraid you have laboured in vain! Say, "In labours I
will be more abundant." You went into what you thought the paradise
of God, but lo! it turned out to be a dreary wilderness. What then?
Still hope in God. Seek on, O seeker, and thou shalt find. Knock on,
louder and louder; the door will be opened.
Night must give way to day. Mystery after mystery will unfold itself.
Light will appear to every man having eyes and using them. The
children of this world hope; greater reason have they to hope who are
children of God.
To your hope add diligence. Watch and wait, but forget not to work.
428
"We will build with hewn stones;" we shall go in for beauty as well
as for strength. Some of us are strong, but we are lacking in beauty.
We are robust characters, but we are also rough. There is a more
excellent way. Perfection of character is reached only in so far as
strength and beauty are blended together. 3. There must also be
growth. Israel resolved to plant cedars, trees which should live and
grow on for centuries. So we, rooted and grounded in faith, and love,
and hope, should grow up in strength and beauty. So, on and
on--changing bricks for hewn stones, and sycamores for cedars.--_Adam
Scott: Christian World Pulpit,_ vol. xvii. pp. 230-232.
(_For Whit-Sunday._)
How different a fulfilment was this from that for which the apostles
had been waiting! No doubt they imagined that such as Christ had been
would be the Paraclete who was to come--One whose individuality and
intelligence they could not doubt, and need not take on faith. When
they were waiting for the Angelic Messenger, Prophet, and Lawgiver,
One higher than all created strength and wisdom suddenly came down
upon them; yet not as a Lord and Governor, but as an agency or power
(Acts ii. 2-4).
429
refuge. And it makes its way to the foundations; towers and palaces
rear themselves as usual; they have lost nothing of their perfection,
and give no sign of danger, till at length suddenly they totter and
fall. And here and there it is the same, as if by some secret
understanding; for by one and the same agency the mighty movement
gone on here and there and everywhere, and all things seem to act in
concert with it, and to conspire together for their own ruin. And in
the end they are utterly removed, and perish from off the face of the
earth. Fire, which threatens more fiercely, leaves behind it relics
and monuments of its agency; but water buries as well as destroys; it
wipes off the memorial of its victims from the earth.
Such was the power of the Spirit in the beginning, when He vouchsafed
to descend as an invisible wind, as an outpoured flood. Thus He
changed the whole face of the world. For a while men went on as
usual, and dreamed not what was coming: and when they were roused
from their fast sleep, the work was done; it was too late for aught
else but impotent anger and a hopeless struggle. The kingdom was
taken away from them and given to another people. The ark of God
moved upon the face of the waters. It was borne aloft by the power,
greater than human, which had overspread the earth, and it triumphed,
"Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of
Hosts."
430
one point, and the fault runs through the whole body. The flood of
God's grace keeps its level, and if it is low in one place it is low
in another.
1. Would this scourge destroy the life of the Jewish nation? This was
the awful question which presented itself to the minds of the
prophets when they saw one and another limb of this nation lopped
off, when they saw that a great numerical majority of the tribes
would be carried away. Isaiah's eyes were opened to see whence the
permanence of the race was derived, how great critical moments in its
life discovered Him who was everlastingly present with it. The child
born in hours of trouble and rebuke had borne witness to him of the
continuance of the regal family as well as of the people of God's
covenant, when the rage of their enemies as well as of their own
faithlessness were threatening them with destruction. Nor was this
all. In the miserable, heartless reign of Ahaz the vision had been
presented to him of a "Rod coming out of the stem of Jesse, which
should stand for an ensign of the people. To it should the Gentiles
seek, and His rest should be glorious." Consider _the Rod out of
Jesse, what it betokened_ (Isa. xi. 10-12). The immediate fruits
which Isaiah saw coming out of this root might have appeared in the
days of any patriotic and prosperous prince, and did actually appear
in the latter days of Hezekiah. No doubt Hezekiah might become, and
did actually become, "an ensign to the nations," just as Solomon had
been before him, one to whom they brought presents, whose alliance
they sought, whose elevation out of a deep calamity was a proof that
some mighty God was with him. But--
431
2. Though we need not seek in any more distant days than those of
Hezekiah for a very satisfactory fulfilment of these predictions (and
let it never be forgotten that what may seem to us, when we look back
over 3000 years, an exaggerated description of deliverance and
restoration, must have seemed inadequate and almost cold to those who
experienced the blessing),--though Hezekiah was a rod out of the stem
of Jesse, and though the Spirit of the Lord did rest upon him
(xi. 2),--though the peacefulness and order of his last years might
faithfully carry out the symbols of the wolf and the lamb lying down
together, yet it was no less impossible for the prophet to think
chiefly of Hezekiah when he was uttering these words than it would
have been for him to fancy that he was the King whom he saw sitting
on the throne, and his train filling the temple in the year that
Uzziah died (chap. vi. 1-4). There was, however, this great blessing
which came to Isaiah from his being able to connect the Divine King
with an actual man--the belief that a man must embody and present the
Godhead, that only in a man could its blessedness and glory appear,
acquired a force and vividness from his hope of Hezekiah's government
and from his actual experience of it, which we may say, without
rashness or profaneness, would have been otherwise wanting in him. In
using that language, we are only affirming that any method but the
one which we know the Divine Wisdom has adopted for conveying a truth
to a man's spirit must be an imperfect method. Hezekiah's existence
was necessary to the instruction of Isaiah, and through him of all
generations to come. Perhaps Shalmaneser and Sennacherib were, in
another way, scarcely less necessary.
But though most feel something of the grandeur of this poetry, and a
few the truth of this prophecy, we do not enough consider upon what
both are founded. The God-Man was the ground upon which the Jewish
nation stood; here you have the contrast--the man-god; he would
ascend up to heaven and exalt his throne above the stars of God. This
is the natural ruler of a society which counts the gold of Ophir more
precious than human beings. We have here the Babylonian power and the
Jerusalem power, that parody of human and Divine greatness which is
seen in an earthly tyrant, that perfect reconciliation of Divinity
432
and humanity which is seen in the Redeemer. Consider both images
well. Both are presented to us; we must admire and copy one of them;
and whichever we take, we must resolutely discard the other. If we
have ever mixed them together in our minds, a time is at hand that
will separate them for ever. The Babylonian mark and image, your own
evil nature, a corrupt society, the evil spirit, have been striving
to stamp you ever since your childhood. Each hour you are tempted to
think a man less precious than the gold of Ophir; the current maxima
of the world take for granted that he is; you in a thousand ways are
acting on those maxims. Oh, remember that in them, and in the habits
which they beget, lies the certain presage of slavery for men and
nations, the foretaste of decay and ruin, which no human contrivances
can avert, which the gifts and blessings of God's providence only
accelerate. May God grant us power to cast Babylonian principles out
of our hearts, that when they come before us we may despise them and
laugh them to scorn, knowing that not against us but against the Holy
One the enemy is exalting himself. In that day may we be able to sing
the song which the prophet said should be sung in the land of Judah
(xxvi. 1-4).--_F. D. Maurice, M.A.: Prophets and Kings,_ pp. 272-290.
1. _There was a day when Egypt had been famous for its wisdom._ This
wisdom had become a thing of the past (vers. 11, 12).
433
masculine, simple, republican virtues of ancient Rome.
3. _With the decay of public virtue comes the decay of public spirit,
and then soon follows the decay of national strength._ Then comes
what these old Hebrew seers called the "judgment;" God coming out of
His place to visit the earth; anarchy, internal dissolution,
collapse, conquest by the foreigner; the giving over of the nation
into the hand of a cruel lord; the establishment of a military
despotism.
A MOMENTOUS INQUIRY.
The world in its moral history had been for the most part in
darkness. It commenced with a bright and sinless morning; but this
434
was succeeded by a time of dark clouds and desolating storms. After
the Deluge the world started anew from another head. The new world,
however, differed but little from the old. Then God called Abraham,
and made his seed His chosen people, through whom He might accomplish
His beneficent designs. Outside of Judea there was not much to dispel
the darkness. Greece furnished a Socrates and a Plato; but because of
her vices and crimes Greece soon went down to ruin. The once
magnificent empires Egypt, Assyria, Greece, and Rome were alike
involved in the moral night of error and sin. We may inquire, as the
voice out of Seir did, "Watchman, what of the night?" What prospect
is there for this sin-darkened world? And we may respond in the words
of the prophet: "The morning cometh." The morning cometh; but also
the night--a night whose duration we may not be able to tell.
+I. How will this inquiry apply to Isaiah's time?+ It was indeed for
the chosen people a time of darkness. But the day is about to break!
The breathings of better things come like the morning air. "The
morning cometh," but also the night--the morning to the sad-hearted
Jews, but the night to others--to the Idumeans, who had long
cherished unfriendly feelings to the Jews, and appear to have
rejoiced in their sorrow. The voice from Dumah was probably a
sneering taunt, "Where is now your God in whom ye trusted?"
Isaiah had a grander vision and saw another morning. The long night
of the olden dispensation still lingered, but the prophet saw the
breaking day, and told of the advent of One who was to be the light
and glory of the world (ix. 6, 7, lx. 2, 3, 20). The vision which
Isaiah saw we also are permitted to see. To him it was the Saviour to
come, to teach, to suffer, to scatter the darkness; to us it is the
Saviour who _has_ come, and taught, and suffered, and died, and rose
again, and whose glorious light has not only gilded the
mountain-tops, but is spreading over all the whole land. And there
are signs which will not fail that his grandest visions will be
realised.
+II. How will this inquiry apply to our own times?+ 1. What mysteries
has science unveiled! How great the historical and geographical
research of our day! How successful our time has been in bringing
unity out of the variety of the universe and harmony out of its
apparent discord! 2. Ours has been a time of moral progress. Slavery
has been abolished from our realm. A great work has been done for the
arrest of intemperance. The cause of missions has grown into large
proportions. 3. The religious progress of the world is remarkable.
Religious liberty is rapidly spreading. There is encouraging advance
in the social or loving element. In the Church the working element is
growing. Never has the giving element assumed such proportions. Amid
this varied growth there is a strong tendency towards Christian
unity. The enemy is vigilant; it is yet the night of battle, of
temptation, and of peril, but the morning surely cometh.
435
the earnest and sincere inquirer the response must be, "The morning
cometh;" if thou art willing to be convinced, thou art not far from
the kingdom of God. If thou shouldst reject Jesus, whither wilt thou
go for a refuge and for a guide? 2. _There is a night of
worldliness._ Many are living for selfish gratification and for this
life only. For the worldly the morning waiteth. Behold, Christ stands
at the door and knocks! His is the light and the life of men; with
His entrance into the heart the morning cometh. 3. _There is the
night of penitential sorrow._ When the morning cometh to the awakened
sinner, the light is sometimes, as with Saul of Tarsus, a blinding,
as well as revealing light. To him--the sorrowing, praying, believing
penitent--the morning came. And so it ever is. 4. _There is the night
of suffering._ There never comes an hour in this world when suffering
is unknown. Count it all joy, if it must needs be that ye shall
suffer. 5. _There is the night of weariness and disappointment._ The
Christian worker, toil-worn, may sometimes inquire, "Watchman, what
of the night?" He has wrongly hoped, it may be, at the same time to
carry the seed-basket, to put in the sickle, and to bring his sheaves
with him. Learn to labour faithfully and to wait. The Son of God is
come!
(_Missionary Sermon._)
+I. The blessings of the Gospel are here described in their general
nature,+ as including instruction for the ignorant, consolation for
the sorrowful, and life for the dead. They thus correspond to the
state of man without the Gospel, which is a state of darkness,
misery, and death.
436
God which are only spiritually discerned. Hence, ever since the Fall,
darkness has covered the earth and gross darkness the people.
(2.) There is the yet thicker fold of _moral corruption._ Sin has
exactly the same tendency in each particular case as in the case of
Adam. It darkens the understanding by its deceitfulness, as well as
hardens the heart by its malignity. It tends to extinguish that
candle of the Lord which shines in the conscience, and to render
useless and unavailing those other means which God has provided for
delivering us from the night of Nature. Those in whom it reigns
choose the darkness rather than the light because their deeds are
evil (cf. Eph. vi. 17, 18). (3.) There is the fold of _Satanic
infatuation._ "The whole world lieth in the wicked one." He rules in
the hearts of all the children of disobedience; and his kingdom is
the kingdom of delusion and darkness. He beguiled Eve through his
subtilty; and he still labours to corrupt and darken the minds of men
(2 Cor. iv. 4).
437
tears be seen. The fact is, that while heathenism leaves its votaries
to the unmitigated operation of all these natural and moral causes of
distress which are common to man in general, it opens many new
sources of misery, inflicts many additional desolations, causes many
forms of terror, suffering, and destruction, which are peculiar to
itself. All men are born to tears, because born in sin; but the tears
of pagans are often tears of blood. Every groan they heave is big
with double wretchedness.
The Gospel, in its provision of blessings for the human race, adapts
itself to that state of darkness, wretchedness, and mortality which I
have faintly described.
438
countries, wars, which it has already rendered less sanguinary, will
be less frequent too (chap. ii. 4).
CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS.
1. The text should teach you your personal obligations and privileges
in reference to the Gospel. The feast is spread out before _you;_ to
_you_ are the blessings of it freely offered (chap. lv. 1-3).
439
(H. E. I. 1166-1168). But remember, if you would share in the
triumphs of the Gospel, you must share in the labour and expense of
their achievement.--_Jabez Bunting, D.D.: Sermons,_ vol. i. pp.
453-483.
PEACEFUL KEEPING.
The delightfulness and value of peace to the nation, the Church, the
family, the individual (P. D. 2664). Consider--
440
The world needs the message contained in our text. Most faces that we
see are careworn. They are so because behind them there are anxious
hearts distressed by fears of various kinds--by fears concerning the
body, by fears concerning the soul. The vast majority of men are
destitute of true peace; for while in the world there are many
ways--of pleasure, of sin, of disappointment, of misery, of
death--there is no way of peace. The multitudes who throng past us
are miserable because the way of peace they have not known.
II. LOOK AT THE POWER WHICH KEEPS THE BELIEVER IN PEACE. It is not
the power of his own faith (H. E. I. 1970, 1975). It is not the power
of his own effort, struggling to obtain confidence. It is the power
of God: "_Thou_ wilt keep him," &c. The sinner obtains peace by
yielding himself to God (Rom. vi. 13). The believer has peace while
he leaves himself in God's hands, quietly submissive, cheerfully
willing that God should lead him and do with him whatever is pleasing
in His sight (P. D. 2966-2968, 2970-2972). Then all God's
attributes--His omniscience, His omnipotence, His faithfulness, His
tender mercy--minister to his peace (P. D. 3379).
441
Here is the secret of life--peace, perfect peace--and the sure way of
attaining it. Consider--
II. THE PROMISED BLESSING. _"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace."_
See also Jer. xvii. 7. The idea suggested is that of habitual and
continued blessedness. The elements of peace are begun in the soul,
and they are brought to maturity in the whole course of the future
life. The peace given is like a river (chap. lxvi. 12), both for
abundance and permanence. That is, while, and only while, the mind is
stayed upon God (chap. xlviii. 18). Then he is _kept_ in peace, for
God is its finisher as well as its author; and it is "perfect peace,"
because it is peace of all kinds, in its highest degree, at all
times, under all circumstances.
IV. THE DUTY ENJOINED. _"Trust ye,"_ &c. While we are listening to
expositions of this text, this duty seems to be easy; but in actual
life our faith is tried and often fails, because we lose sight of the
promises and perfections of God. Here there come to us
disappointments, difficulties, temptations to distrust. But it is our
duty to struggle with them all; and if we do so, it will be our
blessedness to overcome them all (chap. xl. 27-31). "Trust ye in the
_Lord;_ trust ye in the Lord _for ever;_ for in the Lord Jehovah is
_everlasting strength._"--_James Morgan, D.D.: The Home Pulpit,_ pp.
512-516.
442
His truthfulness, wisdom, almightiness, holiness--a mind resting on
His rule and government over all the forces of nature and all the
events of daily life, both national and individual.
II. THE CONFIDENCE EXPRESSED IN THE TEXT. _"Thou wilt keep,"_ &c.
_Thou_ wilt do it; not merely delegate and intrust this to any agency
whatever. Thou _wilt_ do it; there is no uncertainty or peradventure
about it. "In perfect peace:" peace of all kinds, and in a
superlative degree; peace flowing from reconciliation; peace in the
midst of unexplained mysteries; peace in the midst of adverse
providences; peace amid the uncertainties of the future.--_John
Corbin._
I. THE COMMAND.
443
that she is "the vineyard of the Lord of hosts." The Old Testament is
full of references to a vineyard, to vines, and to wine. The reason
for this is, that the Bible is an Eastern book. A vineyard supposes--
1. _Care._ "I the Lord do keep it." With regard to a vineyard, there
is a special meaning in the word "keep." The vine requires great
care. There is much work for the knife. From the pruning of the vine
by the vine-dresser, there is much valuable instruction to be gained.
We learn that what appear to be grievous losses may secure great
gains (H. E. I. 63, 104, 126). Oh, this pruning how painful it often
is! But it is not done because the Owner of the vineyard delights in
it; it proves His love. See Jochebed taking an ark of bulrushes,
putting the child Moses in it, and then laying it amidst the perils
of the Nile: not because she hated him! No; love was at the bottom of
it all, though it appeared otherwise. It behoves the pulpit still to
assure God's people of His care for them.
2. _Provision._ "I will water it." There was necessity for watering
the vineyard constantly. This was done by means of trenches conveying
the water to the roots of the plants. For this purpose rain-water was
carefully stored in cisterns; dew was also of great service. The
means of grace are somewhat like watercourses. We are dry enough and
withered in appearance, but what would we be without the means of
grace? What is the dew? The noiseless influences of the Holy Spirit.
We will compare revivals to showers; they are not with us, like the
watercourses, always. I do not know whether the natural vineyards
must have water without intermission; but the vineyard of the Lord of
hosts requires it "every moment," and here is His promise to supply
the need.
3. _Safety._ "Lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day." It
shall be protected from the blighting frost, from thieves and
spoilers, from "the boar out of the wood," from "the little foxes
444
that spoil the vines." "I the Lord do keep it." He will not only give
His angels charge concerning it, though He will do that. "The angel
of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him." That shall be
done and more! "For _I,_ saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of
fire round about her, and will be the glory in the midst of her." All
things are in the hand of God, and under His control they shall
co-operate for her safety. It is not surprising that Moses, as he
surveyed Israel from the top of Mount Nebo, should say, "Happy art
thou, O Israel! who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord,
the shield of thy help? The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath
are the everlasting arms." "He that dwelleth in the secret place of
the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." In
dwelling near God there is safety. Israel was always flourishing when
with God. The safety of God's people means more than being kept
together and saved from destruction: "Lest any _hurt_ it!" How
excellent are the promises of God!--_Gweithiau Rhyddieithol,_ pp.
48-51, _by the late William Ambrose of Portmadoc, translated from the
Welsh by the Rev. T. Johns, of Llanelly._
445
and exactitude in weighing out his gold and diamonds than does God
while meting out trials to His people. "Grace to help in time of
need;" yea, and storms equal to our strength. We do not know how much
our strength is. One man over-estimates his strength, another
under-estimates it. "But He knoweth our frame." "God is faithful, who
will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able" (H. E. I.
179-188, 3675-3695).
+IV. The storms of life promote purposes of wisdom and love.+ 1. _The
Lord sometimes orders trials as chastisements._ It is not always so;
we are too apt to explain everything as chastisement. But God has
promised to correct (Jer. xxx. 11), and it is the promise of a
father, not the threatening of a judge. (1.) Sometimes one correction
prevents many more. (2.) When the Lord sends trials in the way of
correction, He graciously gives His children the reasons for thus
dealing with them. "The iniquity which he _knoweth_" (1 Sam.
iii. 13). What father would correct a child without explaining to him
what it was for? And what correction would benefit the saints while
ignorant of the object in view? Possibly the neighbours may not know,
but he has himself a private account with God. Hence arises a
consequent duty (H. E. I. 144). (3.) When God thus sends trials, they
are _corrections,_ and not merely punishments; manifestations not of
vengeance, but of His love. A gardener uses the pruning-knife only
for the good of the fruit-bearing trees in his garden. God's
corrections are designed only to take away the sin of His people (see
ver. 9, and Zech. xiii. 9; H. E. I. 56-74).
446
a collision. A man is sometimes laid on a bed of sickness to save his
life--to save his soul!
4. _Storms sometimes prepare men for nobler work._ Moses, after being
brought up in the lap of luxury, is watching the flock forty years in
Midian. All the learning of Egypt is lost in a shepherd. Nay! Moses
requires a double education, for he has a duplicate work to
perform--appearing before Pharaoh in the palace, and leading Israel
through the wilderness. _E.g.,_ what good can a preacher do, if he
has no _experience_ of his own? (Ps. li. 12, 13; 2 Cor. i. 3-6;
H. E. I. 101-108, 2464, 2465).
Some one may say that he has no knowledge of storms from experience.
Wait! Peradventure thou shalt know. Should they come, _bow._ Nothing
breaks, if it bends.--_Gweithiau Rhyddieithol,_ pp. 78-81, _by the
late William Ambrose of Portmadoc. Translated from the Welsh by the
Rev. T. Johns of Llanelly._
This prophecy was literally fulfilled (Ezra i.); but it has a wider
meaning, and this also it shall be fulfilled.
II. THE MINISTRY OF THE GOSPEL. "The great trumpet shall be blown."
What is the good of a trumpet without some one to blow it? (Rom.
x. 14).
+1. Who is to blow it?+ Not angels (Heb. ii. 5). The law was given by
the ministry of angels; by them the trumpet was blown on Mount Sinai
(Acts vii. 53). But they recognise that the trumpet of the Gospel is
to be blown by _men_ (Acts v. 20, x. 31, 32). This treasure is in
earthen vessels. Gideon's Lamps. Men are better than angels for this
purpose. This is proved by the fact that God ordered it so. But there
447
are other minor satisfactory arguments, such as: (1.) _The danger of
glorifying the missionary above the mission._ (2.) _The angels'
disadvantages._ They lack the necessary experience. Blessed lack, in
all other respects! They have never been contaminated by sin, and
hence know not how to speak to the heart of the sinner. By men the
trumpet is now being blown, and will be blown to the end of time. The
trumpeters are falling, ministers are dying, but the ministry is
alive!
III. THE OBJECTS OF THE MINISTRY. "They which were ready to perish."
1. _Pagans are such_ (Rom. i.) "Them which sat in the region and
shadow of death" (Matt. iv. 16). 2. _Every unconverted sinner._ They
are all to be addressed as those who are "ready to perish." The
matter cannot be compromised because there are seat-holders,
contributors, &c. Your kindness shall not prevent our blowing from
the trumpet the tones you need to hear.
IV. THE SUCCESS OF THE GOSPEL. "And they shall come which were ready
to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of
Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem."
1. _Whence shall they come?_ From the Pharisaical hiding-places, the
quicksands of excuses, &c. They are bound in the chains of slavery;
but "they shall come!" This is as certain as the deliverance from
Babylon. Take us your harps and strike them! 2. _How will they come?_
Weeping. Without delay. Confidently. 3. _Whither and to whom will
they come?_ (1.) To Christ; they cannot live without Him. (2.) To His
house.
Isaiah was one of the most eloquent of preachers, yet he could not
win the ears and hearts of those to whom he spoke. He spoke more of
Jesus Christ than all the rest of the prophets, yet the message of
love was treated as though it were an idle tale. His doctrine was
clear as the daylight, yet men would not see it (chap. liii. 1). It
was not the fault of the preacher that Israel rejected his warnings:
all the fault lay with the disobedient and gainsaying nation. The
people to whom he spoke so earnestly were drunken in a double sense:--
448
1. They were overcome with wine (vers. 7, 8). How is it likely that
the truth shall enter an ear which has been rendered deaf by this
degrading vice? How is the Word of God likely to operate upon a
conscience that has been drenched and drowned by strong drink? Flee
from this destroyer before your hands are made strong and you are
hopelessly fettered by the habit.
2. They were also intoxicated with pride. Their country was fruitful,
and its chief city, Samaria, stood on the hill-top, like a diadem of
beauty crowning the land, and they delighted in it. Among them were
many champions whose strength sufficed to turn the battle to the
gate, therefore they hoped to resist every invader, and so their
hearts were lifted up. Moreover, they said, "We are an intelligent
people; we are men of cultured intellect, instructed scribes, and we
do not need persons like Isaiah to weary us with the ding-dong of
'precept upon precept, line upon line,' as if we were mere children
at school. Besides, we are good enough. Do we not worship our God
under the form of the golden calves in Dan and Bethel? Do we not
respect the sacrifice and the holy days?" So spoke the more religious
of them, while the rest gloried in their shame. Being intoxicated
with pride, it was not likely that they would hear the message of the
prophet who made them turn from their evil ways. Pride is the devil's
drag-net, in which he taketh more fishes than in any other, except
procrastination.
+1. The excellence of that Gospel lies, first in its object.+ For
449
The Word of the Lord comes to give believing men rest about the
present by telling them that God ordereth all things for their good;
and as for the future, it brightens all coming time and eternity with
promises. The man who will hear the Gospel message, and receive it
into his soul, shall know the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, and shall keep his heart and mind by Jesus Christ.
(2.) _It is the cause of rest._ "This is the rest wherewith ye may
_cause_ the weary to rest." The Gospel of our salvation is not only a
command to rest, but it brings the gift of rest within itself. Let
the Gospel be admitted into the heart, and it will create a profound
calm, hushing all the tumult and strife of conscience, removing all
apprehensions of Divine wrath, stilling all rebellion against the
supreme Will, and so working in the spirit by the energy of the Holy
Ghost a deep and blessed peace.
(3.) _This rest is especially meant for the weary._ "This is the rest
wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest." Oh, ye that are weary with
the round of worldly pleasure, worn with ambition, fretted with
disappointment, embittered by the faithlessness of those you trusted
in, come and confide in Jesus and be at rest. Here is the rest, here
is the refreshing. Jesus expressly puts it: "Come unto me, all ye
that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
Despondent and despairing, condemned, and in your conscience cast out
to the gates of hell, yet look to Jesus and rest shall be yours.
Now, note with peculiar joy that Isaiah did not come to these people
to talk about rest in dubious terms, and say, "There is no doubt a
rest to be found somewhere in that goodness of God of which it is
reasonable to conjecture." No; he puts his finger right down on the
truth, and he says, "_This is_ the rest, and _this is_ the
refreshing." Even so we at this day, when we come to you with a
message from God, come _with definite teaching;_ we proclaim in the
name of God that whosoever believeth in Christ Jesus hath everlasting
life: this is the rest, and this is the refreshing.
450
heart, and hope to many a desponding mind.
+2. The other excellence of the Gospel of which I shall speak at this
time lies in its manner.+
(1.) _It comes with authority._ The Gospel does not pretend to be a
speculative scheme or a theory of philosophy which will suit the
nineteenth century, but will be exploded in the twentieth. No; it
comes to men as a message from God, and he that speaks it aright does
not speak it as a thinker uttering his own thoughts; but he utters
what he has learned, and acts as God's tongue, repeating what he
finds in God's Word by the power of God's Spirit.
(2.) _It was delivered with great simplicity._ Isaiah came with it
"precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a
little." It is the glory of the Gospel that is so plain. If it were
so profound that we must take a degree at a university before we
could comprehend it, what a miserable Gospel it would be for mocking
the world with! But it is Divinely sublime in its simplicity, and
hence the common people hear it gladly. As the verse seems to imply,
it is fitted for those who are weaned from the breast; those who are
little more than babes may yet drink in this unadulterated milk of
the Word. Many a little child has comprehended the salvation of Jesus
Christ sufficiently to rejoice in it. I bless God for a simple
Gospel, for it suits me, and thousands of others whose minds cannot
boast of greatness or genius. It equally suits men of intellect, and
it is only quarrelled with by pretenders. A man who really has a
capacious mind is usually childlike, and, like Sir Isaac Newton, is
glad to sit at Jesus' feet. Great minds love the simple Gospel of
God, for they find rest in it from all the worry and the weariness of
questions and of doubts.
451
darkened counsel by mysterious words, but He has put His mind before
you as plainly as the sun in the heavens. "Precept upon precept, line
upon line, here a little and there a little."
1. They are most _wanton._ Men object to that which promises them
rest! Above all the things in the world this is what our troubled
spirits need. Oh, the intense folly of men, that when the Gospel sets
rest before them they will not hear it, but turn upon their heel.
There is no system of doctrine under heaven that can give quiet to
the conscience of men, quiet that is worth having, except the Gospel;
and there are thousands of us who bear witness that we live in the
daily enjoyment of peace through believing in Jesus, and yet our
honest report is not believed; nay, they will not hear the truth.
452
III. THE DIVINE REQUITAL OF THESE OBJECTORS.
1. The Lord threatens them _with the loss of that which they
despised._ He has sent them a message of rest and they will not have
it, and therefore in the 20th verse He warns them that they shall
have no rest henceforth: "For the bed is shorter than that a man can
stretch himself on it; and the covering narrower than that he can
wrap himself in it." All those who wilfully reject the Gospel and
take up with philosophies and speculations will be rewarded with
inward discontent. Ask the preachers of that kind of doctrine whether
they themselves have found an anchorage, and as a rule they will
answer, "No, no; we are in pursuit of truth; we are hunting after it,
but we have not reached it yet." They are never likely to reach it,
for they are on the wrong track. The Gospel was made to rest
conscience, soul, heart will, memory, hope, fear, yes, the entire
man; but when men laugh at all fixity of belief, how can they be
rested? This is the condemnation of the unbeliever, that he shall
never find a settlement, but, like the wandering Jew, shall roam for
ever. Leave the Cross, and you have left the hinge of all things, and
neglected the one sure corner-stone and fixed foundation, and
henceforth you shall be as a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
Lastly, this warning is given to those who object to the Gospel, that
_whatever refuge they choose for themselves shall utterly fail them._
Thus saith the Lord, "Judgment will I also lay to the line, and
righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the
refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding-place." Down
come the great hailstones dashing everything to shivers, the
threatenings of God's Word breaking to pieces all the false and
flattering hopes of the ungodly. Then comes the active wrath of God
453
like an overwhelming flood to sweep away everything on which the
sinner stood, and he, in his obstinate unbelief, is carried away as
with a flood into that utter destruction, that everlasting misery,
which God has declared shall be the lot of all those who refuse the
living Christ.--_C. H. Spurgeon: Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit,_ No.
1593.
FALSE REFUGES.
Like the sinners spoken of in this chapter, most sinful men say in
effect, "We have made a covenant with death," &c. (ver. 15).
+I. That he may escape the dreaded consequences of sin, the troubled
sinner seeks a refuge.+ He flees--1. _From the voice of reason._ The
presence of a reasoning power in man is incompatible with the
practice of sin. This is seen in the fact that when sinners can be
brought to think, they at once admit themselves to be wrong. The
moment a man commences to think about sin, that moment he becomes
aware that it will not bear thinking about. It is because a sinful
life is an unthinking life that God's invitations to sinners are
invitations to reason (chap. i. 18; Ps. l. 22-23). 2. _From an
accusing conscience._ The authority of conscience is supreme, and no
man can sin without feeling its sting. To escape remorse, which is
conscience at work, men seek a refuge. 3. _From an offended God._ Sin
is offensive to God's holiness; for being pure, He must hate
impurity. Because sinners are conscious that they have rendered
themselves obnoxious to God, they seek a refuge. 4. _From a broken
law._ In obedience to law there is safety, right, and happiness;
while in disregarding law there is nothing but disaster. And from the
consequences of the broken law--the broken law of God written on the
heart, proclaimed in Nature, revealed in the Bible--the sinner tries
to hide. 5. _From an endless future._ This more than anything else
terrifies sinners and drives them to seek shelter.
454
awfulness of the thought of extinction of being, that men revolt from
it. Establish it that when sinners die they cease to live, and what
better refuge for sin is possible, and what other is needed? Sinful
men will soon say, "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die."
4. _Excess_ is another. When the previous ones have failed to give
comfort, the sinner rushes madly into excess. The drunkard seeks in
increased intemperance to drown the sorrow his indulgence has
occasioned. 5. _Indifference_ is the last. This is the only comfort
some men can find in their career of evil. But indifference is
impossible without a denial of human responsibility. Sad indeed must
the condition of human nature be when brought to this.
455
much cannot be expected.
GROWING LIGHT.
456
Why do I notice these things, which are obvious to all on a moment's
reflection? Because I believe there is important Divine truth hidden
under them. All Nature is a prefiguring or shadowing forth of grace
and truth (H. E. I. 5, 6).
II. THE LIGHT OF THE SUN. This comes immediately from the sun, and
hence its excellence. It is a clear, bright light, and so things afar
off and near at hand are distinctly seen. It is a warm light; there
is heat in it; it thaws and chases away the winter; it makes spring
and summer; it causes all things to grow and vegetate. It is an
awakening light; it makes day, and men arise and go to their work,
and wild creatures and evil-doers retire. It is a constant light. The
sun never waxes or wanes; he is ever the same. True, there are wintry
days, dark, dreary days, but still the sun is there, shining through
the clouds, and shining them away, and soon breaking forth again in
his glory. Is this the character of your religious knowledge? [Work
out the details of the comparison.]
457
clearly revealed, and fruits and flowers which cannot at present be
reared in our climate would then be common and indigenous among us.
There can be a sevenfold Divine light and Divine warmth. Christ has
it to give. He will one day give it to all His people, and the weak
shall be as David, and David as the angel of the Lord. Even now He
grants it to those who seek Him with the whole heart. The patriarchs,
prophets, apostles had it. Nor are these peculiar, exceptional cases.
I believe there is more of it than we are aware of and probably there
would be more if we did not straighten and hinder the Lord by our
want of desire and expectation.
IV. THE TIMES WHEN THIS BLESSING IS VOUCHSAFED. "In the day that the
Lord bindeth up the breach of His people, and healeth the stroke of
their wound." This evidently looks forward to the time when the long
alienation between Israel and their God will be healed. But is He the
God of the Jews only? Nay, of the Gentiles also. There are two
opposite errors into which men fall on the reading of these promises.
Some see only the Jew in them; others do not see the Jew in them at
all. But there is room for both in these green pastures. Even now
there are fulfilments of this promise in its truest, highest sense.
Even now the light of the moon becomes as the light of the sun, and
the light of the sun as that of seven days. It is so, for instance,
often at conversion; it is a passing from darkness into marvellous
light. It is often so when the backslider returns. Look at David in
the 51st Psalm, what light he has got! It is so often in times of
sore affliction. Then the exceeding great and precious promises come
out into view, as darkness shows us worlds of light we never saw by
day (Ps. xciv. 12). It is so at death, when the soul leaves its cage
and soars away into heavenly light and liberty. It will be so when
the Lord comes on the resurrection morn. And once more, oh! the light
there will be when the Lamb opens the books and makes every mystery
plain! (H. E. I. 3127, 3128).--_John Milne: Gatherings from a
Ministry,_ pp. 114-122.
458
religion is worth anything, it is worth most in the hour of trial;
and if it does not stand us in good stead in the time of temptation
and sorrow, what is the use of it?
Next, the _heart._ "He that despiseth the gain of oppression." Not
only does he not oppress any man, nor wish to gain anything by
extortion, or by any act of unrighteousness, but he looks upon it as
contemptible and despises it. He likes gain if it comes cleanly to
him, and it is as welcome to him as to another, but he will not have
a thing he cannot pray over.
Next comes the _ear._ "That stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood."
Men of war and those who delight in war will tell to one another what
they did in battle and whom they slew; and in those old times there
were tales of bloodshed that would have made our ears to tingle, but
the good men in Jerusalem would not hear them; they could not endure
it. It is not the hearing of blood alone we must avoid, but the
hearing of anything tainted. The genuine Christian feels he has
mischief enough in his own heart without adding to it.
Again, "He shutteth his _eyes_ from seeing evil." He cannot help
seeing it as he goes his pilgrimage through life, but as far as
possible he tries to avoid it. He does not go and find an evening's
459
amusement gazing upon it. It were better to be blind, deaf, and dumb
than to see, and hear, and speak in some places. The true believer is
a man who has himself well in hand. He has a bit in the mouths of all
the horses that draw the chariot of life, and he holds them in, and
will not let his eye, ear, tongue, foot, or hand carry him away. He
will have nothing to do with evil: "He shaketh his hand from holding
of bribes."
460
in the living God?
As for the living waters, they shall always flow both in summer and
winter. They shall be within thee a well of living water springing up
into eternal life. But words cannot tell the privileges of the man
who dwells with God. He need not wish to change places with the
Archangels.
As for you that are really striving to do that which is right and
true, at the same time trusting alone in Jesus for your salvation, I
would say to you, What a happy people we ought to be! We ought every
one of us to have a shining face (H. E. I. 756-762, 3037-3039). I do
not know where the Queen is just now, but if I were a dove and could
fly in the air, I would soon find her, for I should see the royal
flag flying on the flag-staff. Wherever the monarch is, there will
the streamer be found flying. Is the King with you to-day? If so,
keep the flag flying. Let the banner fly to the breeze, and let the
world know that there are no people so happy, none so much to be
envied, as believers in Jesus Christ.--_C. H. Spurgeon._
The letter was an insolent cartel of defiance from the Assyrian king
Sennacherib, full as much of blasphemous defiance against God as of
insolence to God's servant. It represents the conflict between
Assyria and Judah as being a struggle between the gods of one nation
and the God of the other. The point of it is: "Don't let the God in
whom thou trusteth deceive thee, saying Jerusalem shall not be
delivered into the hands of Assyria. Thou hast seen what Assyria has
done to all lands, and is thy God any better than theirs?" So the
king of Judah, very simple and child-like, picks up the piece of
blasphemy and goes up to the temple and spreads it out before God. A
very _naïve_ piece of unconscious symbolism! The meaning of it comes
out in the prayer that follows: "Open Thine eyes, O Lord, and see,"
&c. It is for _Thee_ to act. That is the essential meaning of
Hezekiah's action.
461
I. It was an appeal to God's knowledge. For _his_ comfort it was
necessary to make this appeal. That which influences and agitates us,
we need in some way to spread before the Lord. When some great
anxiety strikes its talons deep into our hearts, we need to have the
truth made clear to ourselves. The Eyes up yonder see all about it. A
plain old piece of commonplace, but, oh! there is a deep, unutterable
consolation when a man realises this. "Thy Father which is in secret,
_seeth_ in secret."
II. It was an appeal to God's honour. His prayer was this in effect:
"Hear all the words of Sennacherib, who has sent to reproach the
living God. I say nothing about myself, but it is Thine honour that
is threatened. If this insolent braggart does the thing which he
threatens, then it will be said, 'Forasmuch as this Jehovah was not
able to save His people, therefore He let them perish;' those who
worship other gods will say, 'Jehovah is a name without
meaning'--_Thy_ name, which is above every name!" If a man has not
got something like that in his prayers, they are poor prayers. With
all humility, yet with all self-confidence, ask Him, not so much to
deliver you, as to be true to His character and His promises, to be
self-consistent with all that He has been; and let us feel, as we
have a right to feel, that if any human soul, that ever in the
faintest, poorest, humblest manner put out a trembling hand of
confidence towards His great hand to grasp it, was suffered to go
down and perish, there is a blight and blot on the fair fame of God
before the whole creation which nothing can obliterate. But the
feeblest cry shall be answered, the feeblest faith rewarded! Let us
grasp the thought that not only for our own poor selves--though,
blessed be God, He does take our happiness for a worthy object--but
because His honour and fair fame are so inextricably wound with our
well-being, He must answer the cries of His people (Ezek.
xxxvi. 22-24).
III. Let us take out of the account, not only what we ought to do
when we go to God in prayer, but the kind of things we ought to take
to Him. Every difficulty, danger, trial, temptation, or blasphemy by
which His name is polluted, should be at once spread out before the
Lord. But most of all the common things of everyday life! The small
boy, whom one of our writers tells of, who used to pray that he might
have strength given to him to learn his Latin declension, had a
better understanding of prayer than the men of the world can
understand (H. E. I. 3756, 3757).
IV. Another lesson: If you have not been in the habit of going to the
House of God at other times, it will be a hard job to find your way
there when your eyes are blinded with tears, and your hearts heavy
with anxiety. Hezekiah had cultivated a habit of trusting God and
referring everything to Him; so he went straight into the Temple as
by instinct, where he could have found his way in the dark, and
spread this letter before the Lord as a matter of course. It is a
poor thing when a man's religion is like a waterproof coat, that is
only good to wear when it rains, and has to be taken off when the
weather improves a little! If you want to get the blessedness of
fellowship with God and help from Him in the dark days, learn the
road to the Temple in sunshine and gladness, and do not wait for the
bellow of the pitiless storm and darkness upon the path, before you
462
go up to the Temple of God (H. E. I. 3877-3879).
APPENDIX.
* * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
463
TRANSLATION
OF THE
PROPHECIES OF ISAIAH,
GENERAL TITLE.--CHAP. I. 1.
The Vision of Isaiah, the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah
and Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, kings
of Judah.
2. Hear, O heavens; and give ear, O earth; for Jehovah speaks. Sons I
have reared and brought up, and they, even they, have rebelled
against Me. 3. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's
crib: Israel doth not know, My people doth not consider.
10. Here the word of Jehovah, ye judges of Sodom; give ear to the law
of our God, ye people of Gomorrah! 11. For what (end) is the
multitude of your sacrifices to Me? saith Jehovah. I am full of burnt
offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts, and the blood of
bullocks and lambs and he-goats I desire not. 12. When you come to
appear before Me, who hath required this at your hands to tread My
courts? 13. Ye shall not add to bring a vain offering. Incense is an
abomination to Me; (so are) new-moon and Sabbath, the calling of the
convocation: I cannot bear iniquity and holy day. 14. Your new-moons
and your convocations My soul hateth; they have become a burden to
Me, I am weary of bearing (them). 15. And when you spread your hands,
I will hide Mine eyes from you; also when ye multiply prayer, I am
not hearing; your hands are full of blood.
16. Wash you, purify yourselves; remove the evil of your doings from
464
before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; 17. learn to do good, seek
judgment, redress wrong, judge the fatherless, befriend the widow.
18. Come now, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah. Though your
sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red
as crimson, they shall be as wool. 19. If ye consent and hear, the
good of the land ye shall eat; 20. and if ye refuse and rebel, by the
sword shall ye be eaten: the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it.
21. How has she become an harlot, the faithful city! full of justice,
righteousness lodged in it, and now murderers. 22. Thy silver is
become dross, thy wine weakened with water. 23. Thy rulers are rebels
and fellows of thieves, every one of them loving a bribe, and
pursuing rewards. The fatherless they judge not, and the cause of the
widow cometh not unto them.
24. Therefore, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, the Mighty One of
Israel, Ah, I will comfort Myself of My adversaries, and I will
avenge Myself of Mine enemies; 25. and I will turn My hand upon them,
and will purge out thy dross like purity (itself), and I will take
away all thine alloy. 26. And I will restore thy judges as at first,
and thy counsellors as in the beginning, after which thou shalt be
called City of Righteousness, a faithful State.
FOOTNOTES:
II.--1. The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah
and Jerusalem.
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shall judge between the nations, and decide for many peoples. And
they shall beat their swords into plough-shares, and their spears
into pruning-hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
5. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of Jehovah.
6. Because Thou hast forsaken Thy people, the house of Jacob, because
they are replenished from the east and (full of) soothsayers like the
Philistines, and with the children of strangers they abound. 7. And
their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is no end to
their treasures; and their land is filled with horses, and there is
no end to their treasures. 8. And their land is filled with idols, to
the work of their hands they bow down, to that which their fingers
have made.
9. And so the mean man is bowed down, and the great man is brought
low, and do not Thou forgive them. 10. Go into the rock, and hide
thee in the dust, from before the terror of Jehovah and from the
glory of His majesty. 11. The eyes of the loftiness of men are cast
down, and the height of man is brought low, and Jehovah alone is
exalted in that day.
12. For there is a day to Jehovah of hosts upon everything high and
lofty, and upon everything exalted, and it shall come down; 13. and
upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lofty, and on all
the oaks of Bashan; 14. and upon all the high mountains, and upon all
the elevated hills; 15. and upon every high tower, and upon every
fenced wall; 16. and upon all ships of Tarshish, and upon all images
of desire. 17. And (thus) shall the loftiness of man be cast down,
and the pride of man be brought low, and Jehovah alone exalted in
that day [or, so sinks the loftiness of man and bows the pride of
man, and Jehovah alone is exalted in that day].
18. And as for the idols the whole shall pass away. 19. And they
shall enter into the caves of the rocks and into the holes of the
earth, from before the terror of Jehovah and the glory of His majesty
when He arises to terrify the earth. 20. And that day shall man cast
his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which they have made for
him to worship, to the moles and the bats; 21. to go into the clefts
of the rocks, and into the fissures of the cliffs, from before the
terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of His majesty, in His arising
to terrify the earth.
22. Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein
is he to be accounted of? III.--1. For, behold, the Lord, Jehovah of
hosts, is taking away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the
staff, the whole stay of bread, and the whole stay of water; 2. hero
and warrior, judge and prophet, and diviner and elder; 3. the chief
of fifty, and the favourite, and the counsellor, and the skilful
artificer, and the expert enchanter. 4. And I will give children to
be their rulers, and childish things shall govern them. 5. And the
people shall act tyrannically, man against man, and man against his
fellow. They shall be insolent, the youth to the old man, and the
mean man to the noble. 6. When a man shall take hold of his brother
in his father's house (saying), Thou hast raiment, a ruler shalt thou
be to us, and this ruin under thy hand; 7. in that day he shall lift
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up his voice saying, I will not be a healer, and in my house is no
bread, and there is no clothing: ye shall not make me a ruler of the
people.
8. For Jerusalem totters and Judah falls, (because) their tongues and
their doings are against Jehovah, to resist His glorious eyes. 9. The
expression of their countenance testifies against them, and their
sin, like Sodom, they disclose, they hide it not. Woe unto their
soul! for they have done evil to themselves. 10. Say ye of the
righteous that it shall be well, for the fruits of their doings they
shall eat. 11. Woe unto the wicked, ill, for the thing done by his
hands shall be done to him. 12. My people! their oppressors are
childish, and women rule over them. My people! thy leaders are
seducers, and the way of thy paths they swallow up.
16. And Jehovah said, Because the daughters of Zion are lofty, and
walk with outstretched neck, and gazing with their eyes, and with a
tripping walk they walk, and with their feet they make a tinkling,
17. therefore the Lord will make bald the crown of the daughters of
Zion, and their nakedness Jehovah will uncover. 18. In that day the
Lord will take away the bravery of the ankle-bands, and the cauls,
and the crescents, 19. the pendants, and the bracelets, and the
veils, 20. the caps, the ankle-chains, and the girdles, and the
houses of breath, and the amulets, 21. the rings, and the
nose-jewels, 22. the holiday dresses, and the mantles, and the robes,
and the purses, 23. the mirrors, and the tunics, and the turbans, and
the veils. 24. And it shall be (that) instead of perfume there shall
be stench, and instead of a girdle a rope, and instead of braided
work baldness, and instead of a full robe a girding of sackcloth,
burning instead of beauty. 25. Thy men by the sword shall fall, and
thy strength in war. 26. And her gates shall lament and mourn, and
being emptied she shall sit upon the ground. IV.--1. And in that day
seven women shall lay hold on one man, saying, We will eat our own
bread, and wear our own apparel; only let thy name be called upon us,
take thou away our reproach.
2. In that day shall the Branch of Jehovah be for honour and for
glory, and the fruit of the earth for sublimity and beauty, to the
escaped of Israel. 3. And it shall be that the left in Zion and the
spared in Jerusalem shall be called holy, every one written to life
in Jerusalem, 4. when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of
the daughters of Zion, and the bloodguiltiness of Jerusalem shall
purge from its midst by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning.
5. And Jehovah will create over the whole extent of mount Zion, and
over her assembles, a cloud by day, and smoke and the brightness of a
burning fire by night; for over all the glory _there shall be_ a
covering; 6. and there shall be a shelter for a shadow by day from
heat, and a covert and for a hiding place from storm and from rain.
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THE PARABLE OF THE VINEYARD.--CHAP. V.
5. And now I will let you know if you please what I am about to do to
my vineyard: Remove its hedge, and it shall become a pasture; break
down its wall, and it shall become a trampling-place; 6. and I render
it a desolation. It shall not be pruned and it shall not be dressed,
and there shall come up thorns and briars. And I will lay my commands
upon the clouds from raining rain upon it. 7. For the vineyard of
Jehovah of hosts is the house of Israel, and the man of Judah is the
plant of His pleasures. And He waited for judgment, and behold
bloodshed, for righteousness, and behold a cry!
8. Woe to the joiners of house with house, field to field they bring
together, even to a failure of place, and ye are made to dwell by
yourselves in the midst of the land. 9. In my ears Jehovah of hosts
(is saying), Of a truth many houses shall become a desolation, great
and good for want of an inhabitant. 10. For ten acres shall make one
bath, and a bower of seed shall produce an ephah.
11. Woe to those rising early in the morning to pursue strong drink,
delaying in the twilight (until) wine inflames them. 12. And the harp
and viol, the tabret, and the pipe, and wine (compose) their feasts;
and the work of Jehovah they will not look at, and the operation of
His hands they have not seen.
13. Therefore my people have gone into exile for want of knowledge,
and their glory are men of hunger, and their multitude dry with
thirst. 14. Therefore the grave has enlarged herself and opened her
mouth without measure, and down goes her pomp and her noise and her
crowd and he that rejoices in her; 15. and man is brought low, and
man is cast down, and the eyes of the lofty are cast down; 16. and
Jehovah of hosts is exalted in judgment, and the Mighty, the Holy
One, is sanctified in righteousness; 17. and lambs shall feed as (in)
their pasture, and the wastes of the fat ones shall sojourners devour.
18. Woe to the drawers of iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as
with a cart-rope; 19. those who say, Let Him speed, let Him hasten
His work that we may see; and let the counsel of the Holy One of
Israel draw night and come, that we may know (it).
20. Woe unto those saying to evil good, and to good evil, putting
darkness for light and light for darkness, putting bitter for sweet
and sweet for bitter.
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21. Woe unto the wise in their (own) eyes, and the prudent in their
own estimation.
22. Woe to the mighty men that drink wine, and men of strength that
mingle strong drink; 23. justifying the guilty as the result of a
bribe, and the righteousness of the righteous they will take from him.
In all this His anger was not turned back, and still His hand is
stretched out; 26. and He raises a signal to the nations from afar,
and whistle for him from the ends of the earth; and behold in haste,
swift he shall come. 27. There is no one faint, and there is no one
stumbling among them. He sleeps not, and he slumbers not, and the
girdle of his loins is not opened and the latchet of his sandals is
not broken; 28. whose arrows are sharpened and all his bows bent; the
hoofs of his horses like flint are reckoned, and his wheels like a
whirlwind. 29. He has a roar like the lioness, and he shall roar like
the young lions, and shall growl, and seize the prey, and secure it,
none delivering (it). 30. And he shall roar against him in that day
like the roaring of a sea. And he shall look to the land, and behold
darkness! Anguish and light! It is dark in the clouds thereof!
1. In the year that king Uzziah died (B.C. 758), I saw also the Lord
sitting on a throne high and lifted up, and His skirts filling the
palace. 2. Seraphim standing above it. Six wings to each. With two he
covers his face, and with two he covers his feet, and with two he
flies. 3. And one cried to another, and said,
4. Then stirred the bases of the thresholds at the voice that cried,
and the house is filled with smoke.
5. And I said, Woe is me, for I am undone! for a man of impure lips
am I, and in the midst of a people of impure lips I am dwelling: for
the King, Jehovah of hosts, my eyes have seen.
6. Then there flew to me one of the seraphim, and in his hand a live
coal; with tongs he took it from off the altar; 7. and he caused it
to touch my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips, and thy
iniquity is gone, and thy sin shall be atoned for.
8. And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and
who will go for us? And I said, Here am I; behold me; send me.
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9. And He said, Go and say to this people, Hear indeed, but
understand not; and see indeed, but know not. 10. Make fat the heart
of this people, and its ears make heavy, and its eyes smear; lest it
see with its eyes, and with its ears hear, and its heart understand,
and it turn to me, and be healed.
1. And it was in the days of Ahaz, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, king
of Judah, Rezin, king of Aram [or Syria], and Pekah, son of Remaliah,
king of Israel, came up to Jerusalem to war against it; and he was
not able to war against it. 2. And it was told the house of David,
saying, Syria resteth upon Ephraim: and his heart and the heart of
the people shook, like the shaking of the trees of a wood before a
wind.
3. And Jehovah said to Isaiah son of Amoz, Go out to meet Ahaz, thou
and Shear-jashub thy son, to the end of the conduit of the upper
pool, to the highway of the fuller's field. 4. And thou shalt say to
him, Be cautious and be quiet; fear not, nor let thy heart be soft
before these two smoking tails of firebrands, in the heat of the
anger of Rezin and Syria and the son of Remaliah. 5. Because Syria
has devised evil against thee, also Ephraim and Remaliah's son,
saying, 6. We will go up into Judah and vex it, and make a breach in
it (thereby subduing it) to ourselves, and let us make a king in the
midst of it, to wit, the son of Tabeal: 7. thus saith the Lord
Jehovah, It shall not stand, and it shall not be; 8. because the head
of Aram is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin, for in yet
sixty-and-five years shall Ephraim be broken from (being) a people;
9. for the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is
Remaliah's son. If you will not believe (it is) because you are not
to be established.
10. And Jehovah added to speak unto Ahaz, saying, 11. Ask for thee a
sign from Jehovah thy God, ask deep or high above. 12. And Ahaz said,
I will not ask, and I will not tempt Jehovah. 13. And he said, Hear,
I pray you, O house of David! is it too little for you to weary men,
that you weary my God? 14. Therefore the Lord Himself will give you
sign. Behold! the virgin pregnant and bringing forth a son, and she
calls his name Immanuel. 15. Curds and honey shall he eat until he
shall know (how) to reject the evil and choose the good; 16. for
before the child shall know (how) to reject the evil to choose the
good, the land, of whose two kings thou art afraid, shall be forsaken.
17. Jehovah will bring upon thee, and on thy people, and on thy
father's house, days which have not come since the departure of
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Ephraim from Jacob, to wit, the king of Assyria. 18. And it shall be
in that day that Jehovah will whistle for the fly which is in the
edge of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee which is in Assyria;
19. and they come and rest all of them in the desolate valleys, and
in the clefts of rocks, and in all thorn-hedges, and in all pastures.
20. In that day will the Lord shave, with a razor hired in the parts
beyond the river, with the king of Assyria, the head and the hair of
the feet, and also the beard will it take away. 21. And it shall be
in that day (that) a man shall save alive a young cow and two sheep;
22. and it shall be (that) from the abundance of the yielding of
milk, he shall eat butter; for butter and honey shall every one eat
that is left in the midst of the land. 23. And it shall be in that
day (that) every place where there shall be a thousand vines at a
thousand silverlings, shall be for thorns and briers. 24. With arrows
and with bows shall one go thither, because thorns and briers shall
the whole land be; 25. and all the hills which are digged with the
hoe, thou shalt not go (even) there for fear of briers and thorns,
and they shall be for a sending-place of cattle and a trampling-place
of sheep.
VIII.--1. And Jehovah said to me, Take thee a great tablet, and write
upon it with a man's pen, to Maher-shalal-hash-baz. 2. And I
(Jehovah) will take to witness for me credible witnesses, to wit,
Uriah the priest, and Zechariah, son of Jeberechiah.
3. And I approached unto the prophetess, and she conceived and bare a
son, and Jehovah said to me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz:
4. for before the child shall know (how) to cry, My father, and my
mother, they shall take away the wealth of Damascus and the spoil of
Samaria before the king of Assyria.
9. Be wicked and be broken, and give ear all the remote parts of the
earth! Gird yourselves and be broken; gird yourselves and be broken!
10. Devise a plan, and it shall be defeated; speak a word, and it
shall not stand: for God (is) with us.
11. For thus said Jehovah unto me in strength of hand, and instructed
me away from walking in the way of this people, saying, 12. Ye shall
not call conspiracy everything which this people calleth conspiracy,
and its fear ye shall not fear nor be afraid. 13. Jehovah of hosts,
Him shall ye sanctify; and He shall be your fear, and He shall be
your dread. 14. And He shall be for a holy thing, and for a stone of
stumbling and for a rock of offence to the two houses of Israel; for
a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15. And many
shall stumble over them, and fall and be broken and be snared, and be
taken.
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16. Bind up the testimony, seal the law, in my disciples. 17. And I
will wait for Jehovah, that hideth His face from the house of Jacob,
and will expect Him. 18. Behold, I and the children which Jehovah
hath given me are (for) signs and for wonders in Israel from Jehovah
of hosts, the (One) dwelling in mount Zion. 19. And when they shall
say to you, Seek unto the spirits and to the wizards, the chirpers
and the mutterers: should not a people seek to its God, for the
living to the dead? 20. To the law and to the testimony: if they
speak not according to this word, (they are they) to whom there is no
dawn. 21. And they shall pass through it hardly bestead and hungry:
and it shall be that when they are hungry they shall fret themselves,
and curse their king and their God, and shall look upward. 22. And to
the earth he shall look; and behold distress and darkness, dimness of
anguish, and (into) darkness (he shall be) driven. [-- Or, The
dimness of anguish and of darkness is dispelled.]
IX.--1. For (there shall) not (be) darkness (for ever) to her who is
now distressed. As the former time degraded the land of Zebulon and
the land of Naphtali, so the latter glorifies the way of the sea, the
bank of the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles.
2. The people, those walking in the dark, have seen a great light:
the dwellers in the shadow of death, light has beamed upon them.
3. Thou hast enlarged the nation, Thou hast increased its joy: (they)
rejoice before Thee like the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they
divide the spoil; 4. that the yoke of his burden, and the rod of his
shoulder, and the staff of the one driving him, Thou hast broken as
in the day of Midian. 5. For all the armour of the armed man in the
tumult, and the garments rolled in blood, shall be for burning, food
of fire. 6. For a son is born to us, a son is given to us, and the
government is upon his shoulder, and his name is called Wonderful,
Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 7. To
the increase of the government and to the peace there shall be no
end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to establish it
and to confirm it, in justice and in righteousness from henceforth
and for ever. The zeal of Jehovah of hosts shall do this.
8. The Lord sent a word unto Jacob, and it came down into Israel.
9. And they know, the people, all of them, Ephraim and the inhabitant
of Samaria, in pride and in greatness of heart saying, 10. "Bricks
are fallen, and hewn stone will we build; sycamores are felled, and
cedars will we substitute." 11. And (now) Jehovah raises up above him
the enemies of Rezin, and he will instigate his own enemies: 12. Aram
before, and Philistia behind, and they devour Israel with open mouth.
For all this His wrath does not turn back, and still His hand is
stretched out.
13. And the people has not turned to Him that smote them, and Jehovah
of hosts they have not sought. 14. And Jehovah has cut off from
Israel head and tail, branch and root, in one day. 15. The elder and
the favourite, be (is) the head, and the prophet teaching falsehood,
he (is) the tail. 16. The leaders of this people have been seducers,
and the led of them (are) swallowed up. 17. Therefore the Lord will
not rejoice over their young men, and on their orphans and their
widows He will not have mercy, for every one of them is profane and
an evil-doer, and every mouth (is) speaking folly. For all this His
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wrath is not turned back, and still is His hand outstretched.
X.--1. Woe unto them that decree decrees of injustice, and that write
oppression which they have prescribed; 2. to turn aside from judgment
the weak, the right of the poor of my people, that widows may be
their spoil, and the fatherless they plunder. 3. And what will ye do
in the day of visitation, and in the ruin (which) shall come from
far? To whom will you flee for help, and where will you leave your
glory? 4. It does not bow beneath the prisoners, and (yet) they shall
fall beneath the slain. For all this His wrath is not turned back,
and still His hand is stretched out.
5. Woe unto Asshur, the rod of My anger, and the staff in their hand
is My indignation. 6. Against an impious nation will I send him and
against the people of My wrath I will commission him, to take spoil
and to seize pray, and to render it a trampling, like the mire of
streets. 7. And he not so will think, and his heart so will think;
for to destroy (is) in his heart, and to cut off nations not a few.
8. For he says, Are not my princes altogether kings? 9. Is not Calno
like Carchemish? or (is) not Hamath like Arpad? or (is) not Samaria
like Damascus? 10. As my hand hath found the idol-kingdoms, and their
images (more) than (those of) Jerusalem and Samaria, 11. shall I not,
as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her
gods?
12. And it shall be that the Lord will cut all His work short of
mount Zion and at Jerusalem. (Yes, even there) will I visit on the
fruit of the greatness of heart of the king of Assyria, and on the
ostentation of his loftiness of eyes. 13. For he saith, By the
strength of my hand I have done (all this), and by my wisdom, for I
am wise, and I remove the bounds of the nations, and rob their
hoards, and bring down, like a mighty man (as I am), the inhabitants.
14. My hand has found the strength of the nations, and like the
gathering of eggs forsaken, so have I gathered all the earth, and
there was none that moved a wing, or opened a mouth, or chirped.
15. Shall the axe glorify itself above the (person) hewing with it?
Or shall the saw magnify itself above the (person) handling it? (This
is indeed) like a rod's wielding those who wield it, like a staff's
lifting (that which is) no wood. 16. Therefore the Lord, the Lord of
hosts, will send upon his fat ones leanness, and under his glory
shall burn like the burning of fire. 17. And the light of Israel
shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame, and it shall burn
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and devour his thorns and briers in one day. 18. And the glory of his
forest and his fruitful field, from soul to body, will He consume,
and it shall be like the wasting away of a sick man. 19. And the rest
of the trees of the forest shall be few, and a child shall write them.
20. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of
Israel, and the escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no longer
continue to lean upon their smiter, but shall lean upon Jehovah, the
Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21. A remnant shall return, a remnant
of Jacob to God Almighty. 22. For though thy people, O Israel, shall
be like the sand of the sea, (only) a remnant of them shall return. A
consumption is decreed, overflowing (with) righteousness. 23. For a
consumption even (the one) determined, (is) the Lord, Jehovah of
hosts, making in the midst of all the earth.
24. Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah of hosts, Be not afraid, O
my people inhabiting Zion, of Asshur. He shall smite thee with the
rod, and shall lift up his staff upon thee in the way of Egypt.
25. For yet a very little, and wrath is at an end, and my anger
(shall go forth) to their destruction; 26. and Jehovah of hosts shall
raise up against him a scourge like the smiting of Midian at the rock
Oreb, and His rod (shall again) be over the sea, and He shall lift it
up in the way of Egypt. 27. And it shall be in that day, (that) his
burden shall depart from thy shoulder, and his yoke from thy neck,
and the yoke shall be destroyed because of oil.
33. Behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, (is) lopping the branch with
terror, and the trees (shall be) felled, and the lofty ones brought
low. 34. And He shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron,
and this Lebanon by a Mighty One shall fall.
XI.--1. And there shall come forth a twig from the stock of Jesse,
and a Branch from his roots shall grow. 2. And upon Him shall rest
the Spirit of Jehovah, a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit
of counsel and strength, a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of
Jehovah. 3. And His sense of smelling (shall be exercised) in the
fear of Jehovah, and not by the sight of His eyes shall He judge, and
not by the hearing of His ears shall He decide; 4. and He shall judge
in righteousness the weak, and do justice with equity to the meek of
the earth; and shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and
with the breath of His lips shall slay the wicked. 5. And
righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the
girdle of His reins.
6. And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie
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down with the kid, and the calf and young lion and fatling together,
and a little child shall lead them; 7. and the cow and the bear shall
feed, together shall their young lie down, and the lion like the ox
shall eat straw; 8. and the suckling child shall play on the hole of
the asp, and on the den of the basilisk shall the weaned child
stretch its hand. 9. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy
mountain, because the land is full of the knowledge of Jehovah, like
the waters covering the sea.
10. And in that day shall the root of Jesse which is set up be for a
signal to the nations: unto Him shall the Gentiles seek, and His rest
shall be glorious.
11. And it shall come to pass in that day, the Lord shall add His
hand a second time to redeem the remnants of His people from Assyria,
and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and
from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.
12. And He shall set up a signal to the nations, and shall gather the
outcasts of Israel, and the dispersed of Judah shall He bring
together from the four wings of the earth. 13. And the army of
Ephraim shall depart, and the enemies of Judah shall be cut off.
Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
14. And they shall fly upon the shoulder of the Philistines towards
the sea; together they shall spoil the sons of the East; Edom and
Moab the stretching out of their hand, and the children of Ammon
their obedience. 15. And Jehovah will destroy the tongue of the sea
of Egypt, and He will wave His hand over the river, in the violence
of His wind, and smite it into seven streams, and make (His people)
tread (it) in shoes. 16. And there shall be a highway for the remnant
of His people which shall be left, from Assyria, as there was for
Israel in the day of his coming up from the land of Egypt.
XII.--1, 2. And thou shalt say in that day, O Lord, I will praise
Thee! For Thou wast angry with me, but Thine anger is turned away,
and Thou comfortest me. Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust and
not be afraid; for my strength and song is Jah Jehovah, and He is
become my salvation. 3. And ye shall draw water with joy from the
springs of salvation. 4-6. And ye shall say in that day, Praise
Jehovah! Call upon His name! Make known among the nations His
exploits; remind them that His name is exalted. Praise Jehovah,
because He has done a sublime deed. Known is this in all the earth.
Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in the midst of
thee is the Holy One of Israel.
XIII.--1. The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah, the son of Amoz, saw.
2. Upon a bare hill, set up a signal, raise the voice to them, wave
the hand, and let them enter the gates of the nobles. 3. I (Myself)
have given command to My consecrated. Yes, I have called (forth) My
mighty ones for (the execution of) My wrath, My proud exulters.
4. The voices of a multitude in the mountains! the likeness of much
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people! the sound of a tumult of kingdoms of nations gathered!
Jehovah of hosts mustering a host of battle! 5. Coming from a distant
land, from the end of the heavens, Jehovah and the instruments of
His wrath, to lay waste the whole land. 6. Howl, for the day of
Jehovah is near! like might from the Almighty it shall come.
7. Therefore all hands shall sink and every heart of man shall melt.
8. And they shall be confounded, pangs and throes shall seize (them),
like the travailing (woman) they shall writhe, each at his neighbour,
they shall wander, faces of flames their faces. 9. Behold the day of
Jehovah cometh, terrible, and wrath and heat of anger, to make the
land a waste, and its survivors He will destroy from it.
10. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations shall not
shed their light, the sun is darkened in his going forth, and the
moon shall not cause its light to shine. 11. And I will visit upon
the world (its) iniquity, and upon the wicked their iniquity, and I
will cause to cease the arrogance of presumptuous sinners, and the
pride of tyrants I will humble. 12. And I will make man more scarce
than pure gold, and a human being than the ore of Ophir.
13. Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth shall
shake out of its place in the wrath of Jehovah of hosts and in the
day of the heat of His anger. 14. And it shall be that like a roe
chased, and like sheep, with none to gather them--each to his people,
they shall turn--and each to his country they shall flee. 15. Every
one found shall be stabbed, and every one joined shall fall by the
sword. 16. And their children shall be dashed to pieces before their
eyes, their houses shall be plundered, and their wives ravished.
17. Behold, I (am) stirring up the Madai who will not regard silver,
and (as for) gold they will not take pleasure in it. 18. And bows
shall dash boys in pieces, and the fruit of the womb they shall not
pity; on children their eye shall not have mercy.
19. And Babylon, the beauty of kingdoms, the ornament, the pride of
the Chaldees, shall be like God's overthrowing Sodom and Gomorrah.
20. It shall not be inhabited for ever, and it shall not be dwelt in
from generation to generation, neither shall the Arab pitch tent
there, neither shall shepherds cause their flocks to lie there.
21. But there shall lie down desert creatures, and their houses shall
be filled with howls (or yells), and there shall dwell the daughters
of the ostrich, and shaggy beasts shall gambol there. 22. And wolves
shall howl in his palaces, and jackals in the temples of pleasure.
And near to come is her time, and her days shall not be prolonged.
XIV.--1. For Jehovah will pity Jacob, and will still choose Israel
and cause them to rest on their (own) land, and the stranger shall be
joined to them, and they shall be attached to the house of Jacob.
2. And nations shall take them and bring them to their place, and the
house of Israel shall take possession of them on Jehovah's land for
male and female servants--and (thus) they shall be captors of their
captors, and rule over their oppressors. 3. And it shall be in the
day of Jehovah's causing thee to rest from thy toil, and from thy
commotion, and from the hard service which was wrought by thee,
4. that thou shalt raise this song over the king of Babylon, and say--
How hath the oppressor ceased, and the golden (city) ceased!
5. Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of the
rulers, 6. smiting nations in anger by a stroke without cessation,
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ruling nations in wrath by a rule without restraint. 7. At rest,
quiet, is the whole earth. They burst forth into singing. 8. And the
cypresses rejoice with respect to thee, the cedars of Lebanon
(saying), Now that thou art fallen, the feller shall not come up
against us.
9. Hell from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee at thy coming;
it rouses for thee the giants, all the chief ones of the earth; it
raises from their thrones all the kings of the nations. 10. All of
them shall answer and say to thee, Thou also art made weak as we, to
us are likened! 11. Down to the grave is brought thy pride, the music
of thy harps: under thee is spread the worm, thy covering is vermin.
12. How art thou fallen from heaven, Lucifer, son of the morning!
felled to the ground, thou that didst lord it over the nations!
13. And (yet) thou hadst said in thy heart, The heavens will I mount;
above the stars of God will I raise my throne; and I will sit in the
mount of meeting, in the sides of the north; 14. I will mount above
the cloud-heights; I will make myself like the Most High. 15. But
thou shalt only be brought down to hell, to the depths of the pit.
16. Those seeing thee shall gaze at thee, they shall look at thee
attentively, (and say), Is this the man that made the earth shake,
that made kingdoms tremble, 17. made a world like a desert, destroyed
its cities, and its captives did not set free homewards? 18. All
kings of nations, all of them, lie in state, each in his house;
19. and thou art cast out from thy grave--like a despised branch, the
raiment of the slain, pierced with the sword, going down to the
stones of the pit, like a trampled carcass. 20. Thou shalt not be
joined with them in burial, because thy land thou hast destroyed, thy
people thou hast slain. Let the seed of evil-doers be named no more
for ever.
21. Prepare for his sons a slaughter, for the iniquity of their
fathers. Let them not arise and possess the earth, and fill the face
of the world with cities. 22. And I (Myself) will rise up against
them, saith Jehovah of hosts, and will cut off from Babylon name, and
remnant, and progeny, and offspring, saith Jehovah. 23. And I will
render it a possession of the porcupine, and pools of water, and will
sweep it with the broom of destruction.
28. In the year of the death of King Ahaz, was this burden.
29. Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of thee, because the rod that smote
thee is broken, for out of the root of the serpent shall come forth a
basilisk, and its fruit a fiery flying serpent. 30. And the
first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy in security lie
down, and I will kill thy root with famine, and thy remnant it shall
slay.
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31. Howl, O gate! cry, O city! dissolved, O Philistia, is the whole
of thee; for out of the north a smoke comes, and there is no
straggler in his forces. 32. And what shall one answer to the
ambassadors of a nation? That Jehovah has founded Zion, and in it the
afflicted of His people shall seek refuge.
XVI.--1. Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Sela to the
wilderness, to the mountain of the daughter of Zion. 2. And it shall
come to pass like a bird wandering, (like) a nest cast out, shall be
the daughters of Moab, the fords of Arnon. 3. [Alexander omits the
_translation_ of this verse, but comments on it. . . .] 4. Let my
outcasts, Moab, sojourn with thee; be thou a covert to them from the
face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, oppression has
ceased, consumed are the tramplers out of the land. 5. And a throne
shall be established in mercy; and one shall sit upon it in truth in
the tent of David, judging and seeking justice, and prompt in equity.
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wearied himself (with vain oblations) on the high place, then he
shall enter into his sanctuary to pray, and shall not be able (to
obtain an answer).
13. This is the word which Jehovah spake concerning Moab of old.
14. And now Jehovah speaks, saying, In three years, like the years of
an hireling, the glory of Moab, shall be disgraced, with all the
great throng, and the remnant shall be small, and few, not much.
4. And it shall come to pass in that day, the glory of Jacob shall be
brought low, and the fatness of his flesh shall be made lean. 5. And
it shall be as one gathers the harvest, the standing corn, and his
arm reaps the ears. And it shall be like one collecting ears in the
valley of Rephaim. 6. And gleanings shall be left therein like the
shaking of an olive-tree, two (or) three berries in the top of a high
bough, four (or) five in the branches of the fruit-tree, saith
Jehovah, God of Israel.
7. In that day man shall turn to his Maker, and his eyes to the Holy
One of Israel shall look. 8. And he shall not turn to the altars, the
work of his own hands, and that which his own fingers have made shall
he not regard, and the groves of Ashtoreth and the pillars of the sun.
9. In that day shall his fortified cities by like what is left in the
thickets and the lofty branch, which they leave (as they retire) from
before the children of Israel, and (the land) shall be a waste.
10. Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and the
rock of thy strength hast not remembered, therefore thou wilt plant
plants of pleasantness, and with a strange slip set it. 11. In the
day of thy planting thou wilt hedge it in, and in the morning thou
wilt make thy seed to blossom, (but) away flies the crop in a day of
grief and desperate sorrow.
12. Hark! the noise of many nations! Like the noise of the sea they
make a noise. And the rush of peoples! Like the rush of many waters
they are rushing. 13. Nations, like the rush of many waters, rush;
and he rebukes it, and it flees from afar, and is chased like the
chaff of hills before a wind, and like a rolling thing before a
whirlwind. 14. At evening-tide, and behold terror; before morning he
is not. This be the portion of our plunderers, and the lot of our
spoilers.
XVIII.--1. Ho! land of rustling wings, which art beyond the rivers of
Cush, 2. sending by sea ambassadors, and in vessels of papyrus on the
face of the waters. Go, ye light messengers, to a nation drawn and
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shorn, to a people terrible since it existed and onwards, a nation of
double strength and tramplings, whose land the streams divide. 3. All
ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, shall see as
it were the raising of a standard on the mountains, and shall hear as
it were the blowing of a trumpet.
5. And the waters shall be dried up from the sea, and the river shall
fail and be dried up. 6. And the rivers shall stink, the streams of
Egypt are emptied and dried up, reed and rush sicken. 7. And meadows
by the river, by the mouth of the river, and all the sown ground of
the river, shall wither being driven away, and it is not. 8. And the
fisherman shall mourn, and they shall lament, all the throwers of a
hook into the river, and the spreaders of a net upon the surface of
the water, languish. 9. And ashamed are the workers of combed flax,
and the weavers of white (stuffs). 10. And her pillars are broken
down, all labourers for hire are grieved at heart.
11. Entirely foolish are the princes of Zoan, the sages of the
counsellors of Pharaoh, (their) counsel is become brutish. How can ye
say to Pharaoh, I am the son of wise (fathers), I am the son of kings
of old? 12. Where (are) they? Where (are) thy wise men? Pray let them
tell thee, and (if that is too much) let them (at least) know, what
Jehovah of hosts hath purposed concerning Egypt. 13. Infatuated are
the chiefs of Zoan, deceived are the chiefs of Noph, and they have
misled Egypt, the corner-stone of her tribes. 14. Jehovah hath
mingled in the midst of her a spirit of confusion, and they have
misled Egypt in all its work, like the misleading of a drunkard in
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his vomit. 15. And there shall not be in Egypt a work which head and
tail, branch and rush, may do.
16. In that day shall Egypt be like women, and shall fear and tremble
from before the shaking of the hand of Jehovah of hosts, which He is
shaking over it. 17. And the land of Judah shall be for a terror unto
Egypt, every person to whom one mentions it shall fear before the
purpose of Jehovah of hosts, which He is purposing against it.
18. In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt
speaking the language of Canaan, and swearing to Jehovah of hosts.
The city of destruction shall one be called. 19. In that day there
shall be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land, and a pillar
near the border to Jehovah. 20. And it shall be for a sign and a
testimony to Jehovah of hosts in the land of Egypt, that they shall
cry to Jehovah from the presence of oppressors, and He will send them
a deliverer and a mighty one, and save them. 21. And Jehovah shall be
known to Egypt, and Egypt shall know Jehovah in that day, and shall
serve with sacrifice and offering, and shall vow a vow to Jehovah,
and perform it.
22. And Jehovah shall smite Egypt, smiting and healing, and they
shall return unto Jehovah, and He shall be entreated of them, and
shall heal them. 23. In that day there shall be a highway from Egypt
to Assyria, and Assyria shall come into Egypt and Egypt into Assyria,
and Egypt shall serve with Assyria. 24. In that day shall Israel be a
third with respect to Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of
the earth, 25. which Jehovah has blessed, saying, Blessed be My
people Egypt, and the work of My hands Assyria, and My heritage
Israel.
3. And Jehovah said, As my servant Isaiah has gone naked and barefoot
three years a sign and symbol concerning Egypt and concerning
Ethiopia, 4. so shall the king of Assyria lead the captivity of Egypt
and the exiles of Ethiopia, young and old, naked and barefoot, with
their buttocks uncovered, the disgrace of Egypt.
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wilderness it comes, from a terrible land. 2. A hard vision it is
revealed to me; the deceiver deceiving and the spoiler spoiling. Go,
up, O Elam! besiege, O Media! All sighing have I made to cease.
3. Therefore my loins are filled with pain; pangs have seized me like
the pangs of a travailing woman; I writhe from hearing; I am shocked
from seeing. 4. My heart wonders; horror appals me; the twilight of
my pleasure He has put for fear for me.
5. Set the table, spread the cloth, eat, drink; arise, ye chiefs,
anoint the shield! 6. For thus saith the Lord to me, Go, set the
watchman: that which he sees let him tell. 7. And should he see
cavalry--pairs of horsemen--ass-riders--camel-riders--then shall he
hearken with a harkening a great harkening. 8. And he cries--a
lion--on the watch-tower, Lord, I am standing always by day, and on
my ward I am stationed all the night. 9. And behold, this comes,
mounted men, pairs of horsemen. And he speaks again, and says,
Fallen, fallen is Babylon, and all the images of her gods He has
broken to the earth.
11. To me (one is) calling from Seir, Watchman, what of the night?
Watchman, what of the night? 12. The watchman says, Morning comes and
also night; if ye will inquire, inquire; return, come.
1. What (is) to thee, that thou art wholly gone up on the house-tops?
2. Full of stirs, a noisy town, a joyous city, thy slain are not
slain with the sword nor dead in battle. 3. All thy shields fled
together--from the bow--they were found--all that were found of thee
were bound together--from afar they fled.
4. Therefore I said, Look away from me; let me weep bitterly; try not
to comfort me for the desolation of the daughter of my people. 5. For
there is a day of confusion and trampling and perplexity to the Lord
Jehovah of hosts, in the valley of vision--breaking the wall and
crying to the mountain. 6. And Elam bare a quiver, with chariots,
infantry, horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield. 7. And it came to
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pass (that) the choice of thy valleys were full of chariots, and the
horsemen drew up towards the gate. 8. And the covering of Judah was
removed, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house
of the forest. 9. And the breaches of the city of David ye saw, that
they were many, and ye gathered the waters of the lower pool. 10. And
the house of Jerusalem ye numbered, and ye pulled down the house to
repair the wall. 11. And a reservoir ye made between the two walls
for the waters of the old pool, and ye did not look to the Maker of
it, and the Former of it ye did not see. 12. And the Lord Jehovah of
hosts called in that day to weeping, and to mourning, and to
baldness, and to girding sackcloth; 13. and behold mirth and jollity,
slaying of oxen and killing of sheep, eating of flesh and drinking of
wine; eat and drink, for to-morrow we die. 14. And Jehovah of hosts
made a revelation to me, saying, This iniquity shall certainly not be
forgiven you until you die.
15. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah of hosts, Go, go into this treasurer,
to Shebna who (is) over the house. 16. What hast thou here, and whom
hast thou here, that thou hast hewn thee here a sepulchre? Hewing on
high his sepulchre, graving in the rook a habitation for himself!
17. Behold, Jehovah is casting thee a cast, O man! and covering thee
a covering. 18. Rolling He will roll thee in a roll, like a ball
(thrown) into a spacious ground--there thou shalt die--and there the
chariots of thy glory--shame of thy master's house. 19. And I will
thrust thee from thy post, and from thy station thou shalt be pulled
down.
20. And it shall come to pass in that day that I will call for thy
servant, for Eliakim, the son of Hilkiah; 21. and I will clothe him
with thy dress, and with thy girdle will I strengthen him, and thy
power will I give into his hand, and he shall be for a father to the
dweller in Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 22. And I will put
the key of the house of David on his shoulder; he shall open, and
there shall be no one shutting; he shall shut, and there shall be no
one opening. 23. And I will fasten him a nail in a sure place, and he
shall be for a throne of glory to his father's house. 24. And they
shall hang upon him all the honour of his father's house--the
offspring and the issue--all vessels of small quantity--from vessels
of cups even to all vessels of flagons. 25. In that day, saith
Jehovah of hosts, shall the nail fastened in a sure place be removed,
and be cut down, and fall, and the burden which was upon it shall be
cut off, for Jehovah speaks.
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antiquity; her feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.
8. Who hath purposed this against Tyre the crowning (city), whose
merchants (are) princes, her traffickers the honoured of the earth?
9. Jehovah of hosts hath purposed it, to profane the elevation of all
beauty, to degrade all the honoured of the earth. 10. Pass through
thy land like the river; daughter of Tarshish, there is no girdle
(any) longer. 11. His hand He stretched out over the sea; He made
kingdoms tremble; Jehovah commanded respecting Canaan to destroy her
strongholds. 12. And He said, Thou shalt not continue to triumph,
violated virgin daughter of Zidon; to Chittim arise, pass over; there
also there shall be no rest to thee. 13. Behold the land of the
Chaldees; this people was not; Assyria founded it for dwellers in the
wilderness; they have set up his towers; they have roused up her
palaces; he has rendered it a ruin. 14. Howl, ships of Tarshish, for
destroyed is your stronghold.
15. And it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre shall be
forgotten seventy years, as the days of one king; from the end of
seventy years shall be to Tyre like the harlot's song.
16. Take a harp, go about the city, O forgotten harlot! play well,
sing much, that thou mayest be remembered. 17. And it shall be at the
end of seventy years, Jehovah will visit Tyre, and she shall return
with all the kingdoms of the earth upon the face of the ground.
18. And her gain and her hire shall be holiness to Jehovah; it shall
not be stored and it shall not be hoarded; for her gain shall be for
those who sit before Jehovah, to eat to satiety, and for substantial
clothing.
XXIV.--1. Behold Jehovah (is) pouring out the land and emptying it,
and He will turn down its face, and He will scatter its inhabitants.
2. And it shall be, as the people so the priest, as the servant so
his master, as the maid so her mistress, as the buyer so the seller,
as the lender so the borrower, as the creditor so the debtor. 3. The
land shall be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled, for Jehovah speaks
this word. 4. The earth mourneth, fadeth; the world languisheth,
fadeth; the highest of the people of the earth languish. 5. And the
land has been profaned under its inhabitants, because they have
transgressed the laws, violated the statute, broken the everlasting
covenant. 6. Therefore a curse devoured the earth, and those dwelling
in it were reckoned guilty. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth
burned, and there are few men left. 7. The new wine mourneth; the
vine languisheth; all the merry-hearted do sigh. 8. Still is the
mirth of drums; ceased is the noise of revellers; still is the mirth
of the harp. 9. With the song they shall not drink wine; bitter shall
strong drink be to them that drink it. 10. Broken down is the city of
confusion, shut up is every house so that it cannot be entered. 11. A
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cry for wine in the streets--darkened is all joy--departed is the
gladness of the earth. 12. What is left in the city is desolation,
and into ruins is the gate beaten down.
13. For so shall it be in the midst of the earth among the nations,
like the beating of an olive-tree, like gleanings when the gathering
is done. 14. They shall raise their voice, they shall sing, for the
majesty of Jehovah they cry aloud from the sea. 15. Therefore in the
fires glorify Jehovah, in the islands of the sea the name of Jehovah
God of Israel. 16. From the wing of the earth we have heard songs,
praise to the righteous; and I said, Woe to me, woe to me, alas for
me! The deceivers deceive, with deceit the deceivers deceive.
17. Fear and pit and snare upon thee, O inhabitant of the land!
18. And it shall be that the (one) flying from the voice of the fear
shall fall into the pit, and the (one) coming up from the midst of
the pit shall be taken in the snare; for windows from on high are
opened, and the foundations of the earth are shaken. 19. Behold,
broken is the earth; shattered, shattered is the earth; shaken,
shaken is the earth. 20. The earth reels, reels like a drunken man,
and is shaken like a hammock. And heavy upon her is her guilt, and
she shall fall and rise no more. 21. And it shall be in that day that
Jehovah shall visit upon the host of the high place, and upon the
kings of the earth upon the earth. 22. And they shall be gathered
with a gathering as prisoners in a pit, and shall be shut up in a
dungeon, and after many days they shall be visited. 23. And the moon
shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, for Jehovah of hosts is
King in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem and before His elders there is
glory.
XXV.--1. Jehovah my God (art) Thou; I will exalt Thee; I will praise
Thy name; for Thou hast done a wonder, counsels from afar off, truth,
certainty. 2. For Thou hast turned (it) from a city to a heap, a
fortified town to a ruin, a palace of strangers from (being) a city;
for ever it shall not be built. 3. Therefore a powerful people shall
honour Thee, a city of terrible nations shall fear Thee. 4. For Thou
hast been a stronghold to the weak, a stronghold to the poor, in his
distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the
blast of the terrible was like a storm against a wall. 5. As heat in
a drought, the noise of strangers wilt Thou bring down; (as) hast by
the shadow of a cloud, (so) shall the song of the tyrants be brought
low.
6. And Jehovah of hosts will make, for all nations, in this mountain,
a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things,
full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. 7. And He will
destroy in this mountain the face of the veil, the veil upon all
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people, and the web, the (one) woven over all the nations. 8. He has
swallowed up death for ever, and the Lord Jehovah wipes away tears
from off all faces, and the reproach of His people he will take away
from off all the earth, for Jehovah hath spoken (it). 9. And they
shall say in that day, Lo, this is our God! we have waited for Him,
and He will save us; this is Jehovah; we have waited for Him; let us
rejoice and be glad in His salvation.
10. For the hand of Jehovah shall rest upon this mountain, and Moab
shall be trodden down in his place as straw is trodden in the water
of the dunghill. 11. And he shall spread forth his hands in the midst
of it, as the swimmer spreadeth forth his hands to swim; and He shall
humble his pride, together with the devices of his hands. 12. And the
fortress of the high fort of thy walls He hath cast down, humbled,
brought to the ground, to the very dust.
XXVI.--1. In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah:
We have a strong city; salvation will He place (as) walls and
breastwork. 2. Open ye the gates, and let the righteous nation enter,
keeping truth. 3. The mind stayed (on Thee) Thou wilt preserve in
peace, (in) peace, because in Thee (it is) confident. 4. Trust ye in
Jehovah for ever, for in Jah Jehovah is a rock of ages.
5. For He hath brought down the inhabitants of the high place, the
exalted city; He will lay it low. He will lay it low, to the very
ground; He will bring it to the very dust. 6. The foot shall trample
on it, the feet of the afflicted, the steps of the weak. 7. The way
for the righteous is straight; Thou most upright wilt level the path
of the righteous. 8. Also in the way of Thy judgments, O Jehovah, we
have waited for Thee; to Thy name and Thy remembrance (was our)
soul's desire. 9. (With) my soul have I desired Thee in the night;
yes (with) my spirit within me will I seek Thee early; for when Thy
judgments (come) to the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn
righteousness. 10. Let the wicked be favoured, he does not learn
righteousness; in the land of the right, he will do wrong, and will
not see the exaltation of Jehovah. 11. Jehovah, Thy hand is high,
they will not see; (yes) they will see (and be ashamed) Thy zeal for
Thy people; yea, the fire of Thine enemies shall devour them.
12. Jehovah, Thou will give us peace, for even all our works Thou
hast wrought for us. 13. Jehovah, our God, (other) lords beside Thee
have ruled us; (but henceforth) Thee, Thy name, only will we
celebrate. 14. Dead, they shall not live: ghosts, they shall not
rise: therefore Thou hast visited and destroyed them, and made all
memory to perish with respect to them. 15. Thou hast added to the
nation, O Jehovah, Thou hast added to the nation; Thou hast glorified
Thyself; Thou hast put far off all the ends of the land. 16. Jehovah,
in distress they visited Thee; they uttered a whisper: Thy
chastisement was on them.
17. As when a pregnant (woman) draws near to the birth, she writhes,
she cries out in her pangs, so have we been from Thy presence, O
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Jehovah! 18. We were in travail, we were in pain, as it were we
brought forth wind. Deliverance we could not make the land, nor would
the inhabitants of the world fall. 19. Thy dead shall live, my
corpses shall arise: (awake and sing ye that dwell in the dust!) for
the dew of herbs is Thy dew, and (on) the earth (on) the dead, Thou
wilt cause it to fall.
20. Go, my people, enter into thy chambers, and shut thy doors after
thee, hide thyself for a little moment, till the wrath be past.
21. For behold, Jehovah (is) coming out of His place, to visit the
iniquity of the inhabitant of the earth upon him, and the earth shall
disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.
1. In that day shall Jehovah visit with His sword, the hard, the
great, the strong (sword), upon leviathan the flying serpent, and
upon leviathan the coiled serpent, and shall slay the dragon which
(is) in the sea. 2. In that day, as a vineyard of wine, afflict her.
3. I Jehovah (am) keeping her; every moment I will water her; lest
any hurt her, night and day will I keep her. 4. It is not because I
am cruel or revengeful that I thus afflict My people, but because she
is a vineyard overrun with thorns or briers, on account of which I
must pass through her and burn them out of her [Or, I am (no longer)
angry with My people; O that their enemies, as thorns and briers,
would array themselves against Me, that I might rush upon them and
consume them.] 5. Or let him lay hold of My strength and make peace
with Me; peace let him make with Me.
6. (In) coming (days) shall Jacob take root, Israel shall bud and
blossom, and they shall fill the face of the earth with fruit.
7. Like the smiting of the smiter did He smite him, or like the
slaying of his slain was he slain?
12. And it shall be in that day, that Jehovah shall gather in His
fruit from the channel of the river to the stream of Egypt, and ye
shall be gathered one to another, O ye children of Israel! 13. And it
shall come to pass in that day, (that) a great trumpet shall be
blown, and they shall come that were wandering in the land of
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Assyria, and those exiled in the land of Egypt, and shall bow down to
Jehovah, in the holy mountain, in Jerusalem.
1. Woe to the high crown of the drunkards of Ephraim, and the fading
flower, his ornament of beauty, which (is) on the head of the fat
valley of the wine-smitten. 2. Behold the Lord has a strong and
mighty one, like a storm of hail, a destroying tempest, like a storm
of mighty rushing waters. He has brought it to the ground with the
hand. 3. With the feet shall be trodden the lofty crown of the
drunkards of Ephraim. 4. And the fading flower of his glorious
beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be like a
first-ripe fig before summer, which he that sees it sees, and while
it is yet in his hand swallows it.
7. And (yet) these through wine have erred, and through strong drink
have gone astray. Priest and prophet erred through strong drink, have
been swallowed up of wine, have been led astray by strong drink, have
erred in vision, have wavered in judgment. 8. For all tables are full
of vomit, of filth, without a (clean) place. 9. Whom will He teach
knowledge? And whom will He make to understand doctrine? Those weaned
from the milk and removed from the breasts. 10. For (it is) rule upon
rule, rule upon rule, line upon line, line upon line, a little here,
a little there. 11. For with stammering lips and with another tongue
will He speak unto this people. 12. Who said to them, This is rest,
give rest to the weary, and this is quiet, but they would not hear.
13. And the word of Jehovah was to them rule upon rule, rule upon
rule; line upon line, line upon line; a little here, a little there;
that they might go, and fall backwards, and be broken, and be snared,
and be taken.
14. Therefore hear the word of Jehovah, ye scornful men, the rulers
of this people which is in Jerusalem. 15. Because ye have said, We
have made a covenant with death, and with hell have formed a league;
the overflowing scourge, when it passes through, shall not come upon
us, for we have made falsehood our refuge, and in fraud we have hid
ourselves; 16. therefore, thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold I lay
in Zion a stone, a stone of proof, a corner-stone of value, of a firm
foundation; the builder will not be in haste. 17. And I will place
judgment for a line and justice for a plummet, and hail shall sweep
away the refuge of falsehood, and the hiding-place waters shall
overflow. 18. And your covenant with death shall be annulled, and
your league with hell shall not stand, and the overflowing
scourge--for it shall pass through, and ye shall be for it to trample
on. 19. And as soon as it passes through, it shall carry you away;
for every morning it shall pass through, in the day and in the night,
and only vexation shall be the understanding of the thing heard.
20. For the bed is too short to stretch one's self, and the covering
too narrow to wrap one's self. 21. For like mount Perazim shall
Jehovah rise up, like the valley in Gibeon, shall He rage, to do His
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work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His strange task.
22. And now scoff not, lest your bands be strong; for even a decreed
consumption I have heard from the Lord Jehovah of hosts, upon the
whole earth.
23. Give ear and hear my voice; hearken and hear my speech. 24. Does
the husbandman plough every day to sow? Does he open and level his
ground? 25. Does he not, when he has levelled the surface of it, cast
abroad dill, and scatter cummin, and set wheat in rows, and barley
(in the place) marked out, and spelt in his border? 26. So teaches
him aright, his God instructs him. 27. For not with sledge must dill
be threshed, or the cart wheel turned upon cummin; for with the stick
must dill be beaten, and cummin with the rod. 28. Bread-corn must be
crushed, for he will not be always threshing it; so he drives the
wheel of his cart (upon it), but with his horses he does not crush
it. 29. Even this from Jehovah of hosts comes forth; He is wonderful
in counsel; great in wisdom.
1. Alas for Ariel, Ariel, the city David encamped! Add year to year;
let the feasts revolve; 2. And I will distress Ariel, and there shall
be sadness and sorrow, and it shall be to Me as Ariel. 3. And I will
camp against thee round about, and push against thee a post, and
raise against thee ramparts. 4. And thou shalt be brought down, out
of the ground shalt thou speak, and thy speech shall be low out of
the dust, and thy voice shall be like (the voice of) a spirit, out of
the ground, and out of the dust shall thy speech mutter.
5. And shall be like fine dust the multitude of thy strangers, and
like passing chaff be in a moment suddenly. 6. From the presence of
Jehovah shall it be raised with thunder, and earthquake, and great
noise, tempest and storm, and flame of devouring fire. 7. Then shall
be as a dream, a vision of the night, the multitude of all the
nations fighting against Ariel, even all that fight against her and
her munition, and distress her. 8. And it shall be as when the hungry
dreams, and lo he eats, and he awakes, and his soul is empty; and as
when the thirsty dreams, and lo he drinks, and he awakes, and lo he
is faint and his soul craving: so shall be the multitude of all the
nations that fight against mount Zion.
9. Waver and wonder! be merry and blind! They are drunk, but not with
wine; they reel, but not with strong drink. 10. For Jehovah hath
poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and hath shut your eyes,
the prophets, even your heads the seers, hath He covered. 11. And the
vision of the whole is to you like the words of the sealed writing,
which they give to one knowing writing, saying, Pray read this, and
he says, I cannot, for it is sealed. 12. And the writing is given to
one who knows not writing, saying, Pray read this, and he says, I
know not writing. 13. And the Lord said, Because this people draws
near with its mouth, and with its lips they honour Me, and its heart
it puts far from Me, and their fearing Me is a precept of men, (a
thing) taught, 14. therefore, behold, I will continue to treat this
people strangely, very strangely, and with strangeness, and the
wisdom of its wise ones shall be lost, and the prudence of its
prudent ones shall hide itself. 15. Alas for those going deep from
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Jehovah to hide counsel, and their works are in the dark, and they
say, Who sees us, and who knows us? 16. Your perversion! Is the
potter to be reckoned as the clay, that the thing made should say of
its maker, He made me not, and the thing formed say of its former, He
does not understand!
17. Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned to
a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be reckoned to the forest?
18. And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and
out of obscurity and darkness shall the eyes of the blind see.
19. And the humble shall rejoice more and more in Jehovah, and the
poor among men in the Holy One of Israel shall rejoice. 20. For the
violent is at an end, and the scoffer ceaseth, and all the watchers
for injustice are cut off: 21. making a man a sinner for a word, and
for him disputing in the gate they laid a snare, and turned aside the
righteous through deceit. 22. Therefore thus saith Jehovah to the
house of Jacob, He who redeemed Abraham, Not now shall Jacob be
ashamed, and not now shall his face turn pale. 23. For when he sees
his children, the work of My hands, in the midst of him, they shall
sanctify My name, yes, they shall sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and
the God of Israel they shall fear. 24. Then shall the erring in
spirit know wisdom, and the rebels shall receive instruction.
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unsparingly, so that there is not found among its fragments a sherd
to take up fire from a hearth, and to dip up water from a pool.
15. For thus saith the Lord Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, In
returning and rest shall ye be saved, in remaining quiet and in
confidence shall be your strength; and ye would not. 16. And ye said,
No, for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee; and upon
swift will we ride; therefore shall your pursuers be swift. 17. One
thousand shall flee from before the menace of one, from before the
rebuke of five shall ye flee, until ye are left like a pole on the
top of the mountain, and like the signal on the hill. 18. And
therefore will Jehovah wait to have mercy upon you, and therefore
will He rise up to pity you, for a God of judgment is Jehovah;
blessed are all that wait for Him. 19. For the people in Zion shall
dwell in Jerusalem; thou shalt weep no more; He will be very gracious
unto thee at the voice of thy cry; as He hears it He will answer
thee. 20. And the Lord will give you bread of affliction and water of
oppression, and no more shall thy teachers hide themselves, and thine
eyes shall see thy teachers. 21. And thine ears shall hear a voice
from behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye
turn to the right and when ye turn to the left. 22. And ye shall
defile the covering of thy idols of silver and the case of thy image
of gold; thou shalt scatter them as an abominable thing. Away! shalt
thou say to it. 23. And He shall give the rain of thy seed, with
which thou shalt sow the ground, and bread, the produce of the
ground, and it shall be fat and rich; thy cattle shall feed that day
in an enlarged pasture. 24. And the oxen and the asses working the
ground shall eat salted provender which has been winnowed with the
sieve and fan. 25. And there shall be, on every high mountain, and on
every elevated hill, channels, streams of waters, in the day of great
slaughter, when towers fall. 26. And the light of the moon shall be
as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold,
as the light of seven days, in the day of Jehovah's binding up the
breach of His people, and the stroke of His wound He will heal.
27. Behold, the name of Jehovah cometh from afar, burning His anger,
and heavy the ascent (of smoke); His lips are full of wrath, and His
tongue as a devouring fire. 28. And His breath, like an overflowing
stream, shall divide as far as the neck, to sift the nations in the
sieve of falsehood, and a misleading bridle on the jaws of the
people. 29. Your song shall be like the night of the consecration of
a feast, and your joy shall be like (that of) one marching with the
pipe to go into the mountain of Jehovah, to the Rock of Israel.
30. And Jehovah shall cause to be heard the majesty of His voice, and
the descent of His arm shall He cause to be seen, with indignation of
anger and a flame of devouring fire, scattering, and rain, and
hailstones. 31. For at the voice of Jehovah shall Assyria be broken,
with the rod shall He smite. 32. And every passage of the rod of
doom, which Jehovah shall lay upon him, shall be with tabrets and
harps, and with fights of shaking it is fought therein. 33. Not
arranged since yesterday is Tophet: even for the king it is prepared;
He has deepened, He has widened (it); its pile fire and wood in
plenty; the breath of Jehovah, like a stream of brimstone, kindles it.
XXXI.--1. Woe to those going down to Egypt for help, and on horses
they rely and trust in cavalry, because it is numerous, and on
horsemen, because they are very strong, and they look not to the Holy
One of Israel, and Jehovah they seek not. 2. And (yet) He too is
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wise, and brings evil, and His words He removes not, and He rises up
against the house of evil-doers, and against the help of the workers
of iniquity. 3. And Egypt (is) man, and their horses flesh and not
spirit: and Jehovah shall stretch out His hand, and the helper shall
stumble, and the helped fall, and together all of them shall cease.
4. For thus saith Jehovah unto me, As a lion growls, and a young lion
over his prey, against whom a multitude of shepherds is called forth,
at their voice he is not frightened, and at their noise he is not
humbled, so will Jehovah of hosts come down, to fight upon mount Zion
and upon her hill. 5. As birds flying (over or around their nests),
so will Jehovah cover over Jerusalem, cover and rescue, pass over and
save.
6. Return unto Him from whom the children of Israel have deeply
revolted. 7. For in that day they shall reject, a man his idols of
silver and his idols of gold, which your sinful hands have made for
you [or, which your own hands have made for you as sin]. 8. And
Assyria shall fall by no man's sword, and no mortal's work shall
devour him, and he shall flee from before the sword, and his young
men shall become tributary. 9. And his rock from fear shall pass
away, and his chiefs shall be afraid of a standard, saith Jehovah, to
whom there is a fire in Zion and a furnace in Jerusalem.
3. And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of
them that hear shall hearken. 4. And the heart (or, mind) of the rash
(heedless or reckless) shall understand to know (or, understand
knowledge), and the tongue of stammerers shall hasten to speak clear
things.
5. The fool will no longer be called noble, and the churl will no
longer be spoken of (or, to) as liberal. 6. The fool (is one who)
will speak folly, and his heart will do iniquity, to do wickedness
and to speak error unto (or, against) Jehovah, to starve (or, leave
empty) the soul of the hungry, and the drink of the thirsty he will
suffer to fail. 7. And as for the churl, his arms (or, instruments)
are evil. He deviseth plots to destroy the oppressed (or afflicted)
with words of falsehood, even in the poor (man's) speaking right.
8. The noble (or, generous) man devises noble (or, generous) things,
and in noble (or, generous) things he perseveres.
10. In a year and more ye shall tremble, ye confiding ones, for the
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vintage fails, the gathering shall not come. 11. Tremble, ye careless
(women); quake, ye confiding (ones); strip you and make you bare, and
gird (sackcloth) on your loins. 12. Mourning for the breasts (or,
beating on the breasts), for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful
vine. 13. Upon the land of my people, thorn (and) thistle shall come
up, for (they shall even come up) upon all (thy) houses of pleasure,
O joyous city (or, upon all houses of pleasure _in_ the joyous city).
14. For the palace is forsaken, the crowd of the city (or, the
crowded city) left, hill and watch-tower (are) for caves (or, dens)
for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks.
15. Until the Spirit is poured out upon us from on high, and the
wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is
reckoned to the forest. 16. And justice shall abide in the
wilderness, and righteousness in the fruitful field shall dwell.
17. And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of
righteousness rest and assurance (or, security) for ever. 18. And my
people shall abide in a house of peace, in sure dwellings, and in
quiet resting-places.
19. And it shall hail in the downfall of the forest, and the city
shall be low in a low place (or, humbled with humiliation).
20. Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth the
foot of the ox and the ass.
1. Woe to thee spoiling and thou wast not spoiled, deceiving and they
did not spoil thee! When thou shalt cease to spoil thou shalt be
spoiled, and when thou art done deceiving they shall deceive thee.
2. Jehovah, favour us, for on Thee we wait; be their arm in the
mornings, also our salvation in times of trouble. 3. At the noise of
tumult (or, tumultuous noise) the people flee; at Thy rising the
nations are scattered. 4. And your spoil shall be gathered (like) the
gathering of the devourer; like the running of locusts running on it.
5. Exalted is Jehovah because dwelling on high; He fills (or, has
filled) Zion with judgment and righteousness. 6. And He shall be the
security of thy times, strength of salvations, wisdom and knowledge,
the fear of Jehovah, that is his treasure.
14. Afraid in Zion are the sinners; trembling has seized the impious.
Who of us can dwell with the devouring fire, who of us can dwell with
everlasting burnings? 15. Walking righteousnesses, and speaking right
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things, rejecting with contempt the gain of oppressions (or,
extortions), shaking his hands from taking hold of the bribe,
stopping his ears from hearing bloods, shutting his eyes from looking
at evil, 16. he high places shall inhabit; fastnesses of rocks (shall
be) his lofty place; his bread is given, his water sure. 17. A king
in his beauty shall thine eyes behold, they behold a land of
distances. 18. Thy heart shall meditate terror. Where is he that
counted? Where is he that weighted? Where is he that counted the
towers? 19. The fierce (or, determined) people thou shalt not see; a
people deep of lip from hearing, of barbarous tongue without meaning.
20. Behold Zion, the city of our festivals! Thine eyes shall see
Jerusalem a quiet home, a tent that shall not be removed. Its stakes
shall not be pulled up for ever, and all its cords shall not be
broken. 21. But there shall Jehovah be mighty for us; a place of
rivers, streams broad (on) both sides; there shall not go in it an
oared vessel, and a gallant ship shall not pass through it. 22. For
Jehovah our Judge, Jehovah our Lawgiver, Jehovah our King, He will
save us.
23. Thy ropes are cast loose; they do not hold upright their mast;
they do not spread the sail; then is shared plunder of booty in
plenty; the lame spoil the spoil.
24. And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick. The people dwelling
in it (is) forgiven (its) iniquity.
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(still) call a kingdom, and all her chiefs will cease to be. 13. And
in her palaces shall come up thorns, nettles, and brambles in her
fortresses; and she shall be a home of wolves, a grass-plot for
ostriches. 14. And wild creatures shall (there) meet with howling
creatures, and the shaggy monster shall call to his fellow; only
there reposes the night-monster, and finds for herself a resting
place. 15. [As to the particular species of animals referred to in
this whole passage, there is no need, as Calvin well observes, of
troubling ourselves much about them. The general sense evidently is,
that a human population should be succeeded by wild and lonely
animals, who should not only live but breed there, implying total and
continued desolation.] 16. Seek ye out of the book of Jehovah and
read; by number will Jehovah call them. For My mouth, it has
commanded; and His Spirit it has gathered them. 17. He too has cast
the lot for them and His hand has divided it to them by line. For
ever shall they hold it as a heritage, to all generations they shall
dwell therein.
XXXV.--1. Desert and waste shall rejoice (for) them; and the
wilderness shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. 2. (It shall)
blossom, it shall blossom and rejoice; yea (with) joy and shouting.
The glory of Lebanon is given unto it, the beauty of Carmel and of
Sharon. They shall see the glory of Jehovah, the beauty of our God.
5. Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, and the ears of the
deaf shall be unstopped. 6. Then shall the lame bound as an hart, and
the tongue of the dumb shall shout (for joy), because waters have
burst forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.
7. And the mirage shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs
of water, (even) in the haunt of wolves, their lair, a court for
reeds and rushes. 8. And there shall be there a highway and a way; it
shall be called the Way of Holiness; and there shall not pass through
it an unclean (thing or person); it shall be for them; the
travellers, yea, those who are ignorant (or foolish) shall not be
able to go astray. 9. There shall not be there a lion, and a ravenous
beast shall not ascend it, nor be found there; and (there) shall walk
redeemed (ones).
10. And the ransomed of Jehovah shall return and come to Zion with
shouting, and everlasting joy upon their head; gladness and joy shall
overtake (them), and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
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son, who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's
son, the recorder.
4. And Rabshakeh said to them: say now to Hezekiah, Thus saith the
great king, the king of Assyria, What is this confidence which thou
confidest in? 5. I say, mere word of lips (is your) counsel and
strength for the war; now on whom hast thou confided, that thou hast
rebelled against me? 6. Behold, thou hast trusted in the support of
this broken reed, in Egypt, which, (if) a man lean upon it, will go
into his hand and pierce it; so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all those
trusting in him. 7. And if thou say to me, We trust in Jehovah our
God; is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath
taken away, and said to Judah and Jerusalem, Before this altar shall
ye worship? 8. And now, engage, I pray thee, with my lord the king of
Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on
thy part to set riders upon them. 9. And how wilt thou turn away the
face of one governor of the least of my master's servants? So hast
thou reposed thyself on Egypt, with respect to chariots and horses.
10. And now (is it) without Jehovah I have come up against this land
to destroy it? Jehovah said to me, Go up against this land and
destroy it.
11. Then said Eliakim, and Shebna, and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, Pray
speak unto thy servants in Aramean, for we understand (it), and speak
not unto us in Jewish, in the ears of the people who (are) on the
wall.
13. Then Rabshakeh stood and called with a loud voice in Jewish, and
said, Hear the words of the great king, the king of Assyria. 14. Thus
saith the king: Let not Hezekiah deceive you, for he will not be able
to deliver you. 15. And let not Hezekiah make you trust in Jehovah,
saying, Jehovah will certainly save us, this city shall not be given
up into the hand of the king of Assyria, 16. Hearken not to Hezekiah,
for thus saith the king of Assyria, Make with me a blessing, and come
out unto me, and eat ye (every) man his own vine and (every) man his
own fig-tree, and drink ye (every) man the waters of his own cistern;
17. until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a
land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards. 18. Let not
Hezekiah seduce you, saying Jehovah will deliver us. Have the gods of
the nations delivered every one his land out of the hand of the king
of Assyria? 19. Where (are) the gods of Hamath and Arpad? where the
gods of Sepharvaim? and (when or where was it) that they delivered
Samaria out of my hand? 20. Who (are they) among all the gods of
these lands that have delivered their land out of my hand, that
Jehovah should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
21. And they held their peace, and did not answer him a word, for
such was the commandment of the king, Ye shall not answer him.
22. Then came Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, who (was) over the house, and
Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder, unto
Hezekiah, with their clothes rent, and told him the words of
Rabshakeh.
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XXXVII.--1. And it came to pass when king Hezekiah heard, that he
rent his clothes, and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into
the house of Jehovah. 2. And he sent Eliakim who was over the
household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the people
covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the son of Amoz, the prophet.
3. And they said unto him, Thus saith Hezekiah, A day of anguish and
rebuke and contempt (is) this day, for the children are come to the
places of birth, and there is not strength to bring forth. 4. If
peradventure Jehovah thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom
the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God,
and will rebuke the words which Jehovah thy God hath heard, then
shalt thou lift up a prayer for the remnant (that is still) found
(here).
14. And Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers, and
read it, and went up (to) the house of Jehovah, and Hezekiah spread
it before Jehovah. 15. And Hezekiah prayed to Jehovah, saying,
16. Jehovah of hosts, God of Israel, dwelling between the cherubim,
Thou art He, the God, Thou alone, to all the kingdoms of the earth;
Thou hast made the heavens and the earth. 17. Bow down Thine ear, O
Jehovah, and hear; open Thine eyes, O Jehovah, and see; and hear all
the words of Sennacherib, which he hath sent to reproach the living
God. 18. It is true, O Jehovah, the kings of Assyria have wasted all
the lands and their land, 19. and given their gods into the fire--for
they (were) no gods, but wood and stone, the work of men's hands--and
destroyed them. 20. And now, O Jehovah, our God, save us from his
hand, and all the kingdoms of the earth shall know that Thou alone
art Jehovah.
21. And Isaiah, the son of Amoz, sent to Hezekiah, saying, Thus saith
Jehovah, the God of Israel, (as to) what thou has prayed to the (with
respect to) Sennacherib king of Assyria, 22. this is the word which
Jehovah hath spoken against him, The virgin daughter of Zion hath
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despised thee, she hath laughed thee to scorn, the daughter of
Jerusalem hath shaken her head after thee. 23. Who hast thou
reproached and reviled, and against whom hast thou raised (thy)
voice, and lifted thine eyes (on) high towards the Holy One of
Israel? 24. By the hand of thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord
and said, With the multitude of my chariots I have ascended the
height of mountains, the sides of Lebanon, and I will cut down the
loftiness of its cedars and the choice of its fire, and I will reach
its extreme height, its garden-forest. 25. I have digged and drunk
water, and I will dry up with the sole of my feet all the streams of
Egypt. 26. Hast thou not heard? From afar I have done it, from the
days of old, and formed it, now I have caused it to come, and it
shall be, to lay waste, (as) desolate heaps, fortified cities.
27. And their inhabitants are short of hand; they are broken and
confounded; they are grass of the field and green herbage, grass of
the house-tops and a field before the stalk. 28. And thy sitting
down, and thy going out, and thy coming in, I have known, and thy
raging against Me. 29. Because of thy raging against Me, and
(because) thy arrogance has come up into My ears, I will put My hook
in thy nose, and My bridle in thy lips, and I will cause thee to
return by the way by which thou camest.
30. And this to thee, the sign: eat, the (present) year, that which
groweth of itself, and the second year that which springeth of the
same, and in the third year sow ye, and reap, and plant vineyards,
and eat the fruit thereof. 31. And the escaped of the house of Jacob,
that is left, shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward;
32. for out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and an escape from
Mount Zion; the zeal of Jehovah of hosts shall do this.
36. And the angel of the Lord went forth, and smote in the camp of
Assyria an hundred and eighty and five thousand, and they rose up
early in the morning and behold all of them were dead corpses.
37. Then decamped, and departed, and returned, Sennacherib king of
Assyria, and dwelt in Nineveh. 38. And he was worshipping (in) the
house of Nisroch his god, and Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote
him with the sword, and they escaped into the land of Ararat, and
Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.
XXXVIII.--1. In those days Hezekiah was sick unto death, and Isaiah
the son of Amoz, the prophet, came unto him, and said unto him, Thus
saith Jehovah, Order thy house, for thou (art) dying, and art not to
live. 2. And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall, and prayed to
Jehovah. 3. And he said, Ah, Jehovah, remember, I beseech Thee, how I
have walked before Thee in truth and with a whole heart, and that
which is good in Thine eyes have I done; and Hezekiah wept a great
weeping.
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Hezekiah, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of David thy father, I have
heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears; behold, I am adding unto thy
days fifteen years. 6. And out of the hand of the king of Assyria I
will save thee and this city, and I will cover over this city.
7. And this shall be to thee the sign from Jehovah, that Jehovah will
perform this word which He hath spoken: 8. Behold, I am causing the
shadow to go back, the degree which it has gone down on the degrees
of Ahaz with the sun, ten degrees backward; and the sun returned ten
degrees on the degrees which it had gone down.
10. I said in the pause of my days, I shall go into the gate of the
grave, I am deprived of the residue of my years. 11. I said I shall
not see Jah, Jah in the land of the living; I shall not behold man
again with the inhabitants of the world. 12. My dwelling is plucked
up and uncovered by me like a shepherd's tent. I have rolled up, like
the weaver, my life; from the thrum He will cut me off; from day to
night Thou wilt finish me.
13. I set (Him before me) till the morning as a lion (saying), So
will He break all my bones; from day to night Thou wilt make an end
of me. 14. Like a swallow (or) like a twittering sparrow, so I chirp;
I moan like a dove; my eyes are weak (with looking) upward; O
Jehovah; I am oppressed, undertake for me.
15. What shall I say? He hath both spoken to me, and Himself hath
done (it); I shall go softly all my days in the bitterness of my
soul. 16. Lord, upon them they live, and as to everything in them is
the life of my spirit, and Thou wilt recover me and make me to live.
17. Behold to peace (is turned) my bitter bitterness, and Thou hast
loosed my soul from the pit of destruction, because Thou hast cast
behind Thy back all my sins.
18. For the grave shall not confess Thee (nor) death praise Thee;
they that go down to the pit shall not hope for Thy truth. 19. The
living, the living, he shall thank Thee, as I do to-day; fathers to
sons shall make known with respect to Thy truth. 20. Jehovah
(listened) to save me! And my songs we will play, all the days of our
life, at the house of Jehovah.
21. And Isaiah said, Let him take a lump of figs, and lay them
softened on the boil, and he shall live. 22. And Hezekiah said, What
sign (is there) that I shall go up (to) the house of Jehovah?
2. And Hezekiah was glad of them, and showed them his house of
rarities, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the ointment,
and all his house of arms, and all that was found in his treasures;
there was not a thing which Hezekiah did not show them, in his house,
and in all his dominion.
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3. Then came Isaiah the prophet to the king Hezekiah, and said to
him, What said these men, and whence came they unto thee? And
Hezekiah said, From a far country came they unto me, from Babylon.
4. And he said, What have they seen in thy house? And Hezekiah said,
All that is in my house have they seen; there is not a thing that I
have not showed them in my treasures.
5. And Isaiah said, Hear the word of Jehovah of hosts, 6. Behold days
are coming when all that (is) in thy house, and that which thy
fathers have hoarded until this day, shall be carried to Babylon;
there shall not be left a thing, saith Jehovah. 7. And of thy sons
that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt begat, shall they take
away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
8. And Hezekiah said, Good is the word of Jehovah which thou hast
spoken. And he said, for there shall be peace and truth in my days.
6. A voice saying, Cry! And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is
grass, and all its favour like the flower of the field! 7. Dried is
the grass, faded is the flower; for the breath of Jehovah has blown
upon it. Surely the people is grass. 8. Dried is the grass, faded the
flower, and the word of our God shall stand for ever.
9. Upon a high mountain, get thee up, bringer of good news, O Zion!
Raise with strength thy voice, bringer of good news, Jerusalem! Raise
(it), fear not; say to the towns of Judah, Lo, your God! 10. Lo, the
Lord Jehovah is coming in (the person of) a strong one, and His arm
(is) ruling for Him. Lo, His hire is with Him, and His wages before
Him. 11. Like a shepherd His flock will He feed, with His arm will He
gather the lambs, and in His bosom carry (them): the nursing (ewes)
He will (gently) lead.
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12. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted
out heaven with the span, and comprehended in a measure the dust of
the earth, and weighed in a balance the mountains, and the hills in
scales? 13. Who hath measured the Spirit of Jehovah, and (who, as)
the man of His counsel, will teach Him? 14. Whom did He consult, and
he made Him understand, and taught Him in the path of judgment, and
taught Him knowledge, and the way of understanding (who) will make
Him know? 15. Lo, nations are as a drop from a bucket, and as dust on
scales are reckoned; lo, islands as an atom He will take up. 16. And
Lebanon is not enough for burning, and its beasts are not enough for
a sacrifice. 17. All the nations (are) as nothing before Him, less
than nothing and vanity are counted to Him.
18. And (now) to whom will ye liken God, and what likeness will ye
compare to Him? 19. The image a carver has wrought, and a gilder with
gold shall overlay it, and chains of silver (he is) casting. 20. (As
for) the man impoverished (by) offering, a tree (that) will not rot
he chooses, a wise carver he seeks for it, to set up an image (that)
shall not be moved. 21. Will you not know? Will you not hear? has it
not been told you from the first? have you not understood (from) the
foundations of the earth? 22. The (One) sitting over the circle of
the earth, and its inhabitants (are) as locusts; the One spreading
like an awning the heavens, and He stretches them out like a tent to
dwell in; 23. the One bringing princes to nothing, the judges of the
earth like emptiness He has made. 24. Not even planted were they, not
even sown, not even rooted in the ground their stock, and He just
breathed upon them, and they withered, and a whirlwind like the chaff
shall take them up. 25. And now to (whom) will ye liken Me, and to
(whom) shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
26. Lift up on high your eyes and see--who hath created these?--and
who is the (One) bringing out by number their host?--to all of them
by name will He call--from abundance of might and because strong in
power--not one faileth. 27. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and why (thus)
speak, O Israel? Hidden is my way from Jehovah, and from my God my
cause will pass away. 28. Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard?
The God of eternity, Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth,
will not faint, and will not tire; there is no search (with respect)
to His understanding. 29. Giving to the weary strength, and to the
powerless might will He increase. 30. And (yet) weary shall youths be
and faint, and chosen (youths) shall be weakened, be weakened.
31. And (on the other hand) those waiting for Jehovah shall gain new
strength; they shall raise the pinion like the eagles, they shall run
and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
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as dust to His sword, and as driven stubble to His bow. 3. He shall
pursue them; He shall pass (in) safety; a path with His feet He shall
not go. 4. Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from
the beginning? I Jehovah, the First and with the Last, I (am) He.
5. The isles have seen it and are afraid, the ends of the earth
tremble: they have approached and come. 6. A man his neighbour they
will help, and to his brother (one) will say, Be strong! 7. And the
carver has strengthened the gilder, the smoother with the hammer, the
smiter on the anvil; he says of the solder, It is good; and he
sharpeneth it with nails; it shall not be moved. 8. And thou Israel
My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham My
friend; 9. thou whom I have grasped from the ends of the earth, and
from its sides have I called thee, My servant (art) thou; I have
chosen thee, and not rejected thee.
10. Fear thou not, for I (am) with thee; look not around, for I (am)
thy God; I have strengthened thee, yea, I have helped thee, yea, I
have upheld thee with the right hand of My righteousness. 11. Lo,
ashamed and confounded shall be all those inflamed against thee; they
shall be as though they were not, and destroyed shall be they that
strive with thee. 12. Thou shalt seek them and not find them, the men
of quarrel; they shall be as nothing and as nought, thy men of war.
13. For I, Jehovah thy God, (am) holding fast thy right hand; the
(one) saying to thee, Fear not, I have helped thee. 14. Fear not,
thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I have helped thee, saith
Jehovah, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel. 15. Behold I have
placed thee for a threshing-sledge, sharp, new, possessed of teeth;
thou shalt thresh mountains and beat (them) small, and hills like the
chaff shalt thou make. 16. Thou shalt fan them, and a wind shall take
them up, and a whirlwind shall scatter them, and thou shalt joy in
Jehovah, and in the Holy One of Israel shalt thou boast.
17. The suffering and the poor (are) seeking water, and it is not;
their tongue with thirst is parched. I Jehovah will answer them.
18. I will open upon bare hills streams, and in the midst of valleys
fountains; I will convert the desert into a pool of water, and the
dry land into springs of water. 19. I will give in the wilderness
cedar, acacia, and myrtle, and oil tree; I will place in the desert
fir, pine, and box together. 20. That they may see, and know, and
consider, and understand together, that the hand of Jehovah hath done
this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
21. Present your cause, saith Jehovah; bring forward your strong
reasons, saith the King of Jacob. 22. Let them bring forward and show
forth to us the (things) which are to happen; the former things, when
they were, show forth, and we will set our heart, and know the issue;
or (else) the coming events make us to hear. 23. Show forth the
(things) to come hereafter, and we will know that ye are gods; yes,
ye shall do good or evil, and we will look about and see together.
24. Lo, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought; an abomination is
he that chooseth you. 25. I have raised up (one) from the north, and
he has come; from the rising of the sun shall he call upon My name;
and he shall come upon princes as upon mortar, and as a potter
treadeth clay. 26. Who hath declared from the beginning? (Say) and we
will know; and beforehand, and we will say, True! Nay, there was none
that told; nay, there was none that uttered; nay, there was none that
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heard your words. 27. (I am the) first (to say) to Zion, Behold,
behold them! and (to give) to Jerusalem a bringer of good news.
28. And I will look, but there is no man; and of these, but there is
no one advising; and I will ask them, and (perhaps) they will return
an answer. 29. Lo, they (are) all nought, nothing their words, wind
and emptiness their molten images.
1. Behold My servant! I will hold Him fast; My chosen One, (in whom)
My soul delights; I have put My Spirit upon Him; judgment to the
nations shall He cause to go forth. 2. He shall not cry, and He shall
not raise (His voice), and He shall not let His voice be heard in the
street. 3. A broken reed shall He not break, and a dim wick will He
not quench; by the truth He will bring forth judgment. 4. He shall
not be dim, and He shall not be crushed, until He shall set judgment
in the earth, and for His law the isles shall wait.
5. Thus saith the mighty (God), Jehovah, creating the heavens and
stretching them out, spreading the earth and its issues, giving
breath to the people on it, and spirit to those walking in it. 6. I,
Jehovah, have called Thee in righteousness, and will lay hold of Thy
hand, and will keep Thee, and will give Thee for a covenant of the
people, for a light of the Gentiles. 7. to open blind eyes, to bring
out from prison the bondman, from the house of confinement the
dwellers in darkness. 8. I am Jehovah, that is My name, and My glory
to another will I not give, and My praise to graven images. 9. The
former things--lo, they have come, and new things I (am) telling;
before they spring forth I will let you hear (them).
10. Sing to Jehovah a new song, His praise from the end of the earth,
(ye) going down to the sea and its fulness, isles and their
inhabitants! 11. The desert and its towns shall raise (the voice),
the enclosures (in which) Kedar dwells; the dwellers in the rock
shall shout, from the top of the mountains shall they cry aloud.
12. They shall give to Jehovah honour, and His praise in the islands
they shall show forth. 13. Jehovah, like a strong one, will go forth;
like a warrior He will cry; against His foes will show Himself
strong. 14. I have long been still, (saying) I will hold my peace, I
will restrain myself. (But now), like the travailing (woman) I will
shriek, I will pant and gasp at once. 15. I will lay waste mountains
and hills, and all their herbage will I dry up; I will turn streams
to islands, and pools will I dry up. 16. And I will make the blind
walk in a way they know not, in paths they know not I will make them
tread; I will turn darkness before them to light, and obliquities to
straightness. These are the words; I have made them, and have not
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left them. 17. They shall be turned back, they shall be utterly
ashamed, those trusting in the graven image, those saying to the
molten images, Ye are our gods!
18. Ye deaf, hear! and, ye blind, look to see! 19. Who (is) blind but
My servant, and deaf like My messenger (whom) I will send? Who (is)
blind like the devoted are, and blind like the servant of Jehovah?
20. Thou hast seen many things and wilt not observe. (Sent) to open
ears! and he will not hear! 21. Jehovah (is) willing for His
righteousness' sake; He will magnify the law and make it honourable.
22. And (yet) it (is) a people spoiled and robbed, ensnared in holes
all of them, and in houses of confinement they are hidden. They have
become a spoil, and there is none delivering; a prey, and there is
none saying, Restore! 23. Who among you will give ear to this, and
hearken and hear for the time to come? 24. Who has given Jacob for a
prey, and Israel to spoilers? Hast not Jehovah, against whom we have
sinned? and they were not willing in His ways to walk, and did not
hearken to His law. 25. And He poured upon him fury, (even) His wrath
and the violence of war: and it set him on fire round about, and he
knew it not; and it burned him, and he will not lay it to heart.
1. And now, thus saith Jehovah, thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Former,
O Israel, Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called by thy
name, thou art Mine. 2. When thou passest through the waters, I will
be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee;
when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be scorched, and
the flame shall not burn thee. 3. For I, Jehovah, thy God, the Holy
One of Israel, thy Saviour, have given (as) thy ransom Egypt,
Ethiopia, and Seba, instead of thee. 4. Since thou wast precious in
My eyes; thou hast been honoured, and I have loved thee, and will
give men instead of thee, and nations instead of thy life.
5. Fear not, for I (am) with thee; from the east I will make thy seed
come, and from the west I will gather thee; 6. I will say to the
north, Give, and to the south, Withhold not, let My sons come from
far, and My daughters from the ends of the earth; 7. Every one called
by My name, and for My glory I have created him; I have formed him
yea, I have made him. 8. He hath brought out the blind people, and
there are eyes (to them), and the deaf, and (there are) ears to them.
9. All the nations are gathered together, and the people are to be
assembled. Who among them will declare this, and let us hear the
first things? Let them produce their witnesses and be justified; and
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(if they cannot do this) let them hear (My witnesses), and say, (it
is) the truth.
14. Thus saith Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: For
your sake I have sent to Babylon, and have brought down fugitives all
of them; and the Chaldeans, in the ships their shout; 15. I, Jehovah,
your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.
16. Thus saith Jehovah, the (One) giving in the sea a way, and in
mighty waters a path; 17. the (One) bringing out chariot and horse,
force and strong; together shall they lie, they shall not rise; they
are extinct, like tow they are quenched.
18. Remember not former things, and old things consider not.
19. Behold I (am) doing (something) new, it is yet to sprout; do you
not know it? Yes, I will place in the wilderness a way, in the desert
streams. 20. The living creature of the field shall honour Me,
jackass and ostriches; because I have given in the wilderness waters,
and streams in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen.
21. This people I have formed for Myself; My praise shall they
recount.
22. And not Me hast thou called, O Jacob; for thou hast been weary of
Me, O Israel. 23. Thou hast not brought to Me the sheep of thy
burnt-offering, and (with) thy sacrifices thou hast not honoured Me.
I have not made thee serve with oblations, and I have not wearied
thee with incense. 24. Thou hast not brought for Me sweet cane with
honey, and with the fat of thy sacrifices thou hast not drenched Me;
thou hast only made Me serve with thy sins, and wearied Me with thine
iniquities. 25. I, I am He blotting out thy transgressions for Mine
own sake, and thy sins I will not remember.
26. Remind Me; let us plead together: state (thy case) that thou
mayest be justified. 27. Thy first father sinned, and thy
interpreters rebelled against Me. 28. And I will profane the holy
chiefs, and will give up Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.
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and made by man, but made of the very same materials applied to the
most trivial domestic uses, vers. 15-20. From this demonstration of
the power of Jehovah to perform His promise we are now brought back
to the promise itself, vers. 21-24. This is again confirmed by an
appeal to God's creative power, and illustrated by the raising up of
Cyrus as a deliverer to Israel, vers. 25-28.]
1. And now hear, Jacob My servant, and Israel whom I have chosen.
2. Thus saith Jehovah, Thy Maker and thy Former from the womb will
help thee; fear not, My servant Jacob, and Jeshurun whom I have
chosen. 3. For I will pour waters upon the thirsty, and flowing
(waters) on the dry (land); I will pour My Spirit on thy seed, and My
blessing on thine offspring. 4. And they shall spring up in the midst
of the grass, like willows by the water-courses. 5. They shall say,
To Jehovah I (belong); and this shall call on the name of Jacob; and
this shall inscribe with his hand, To Jehovah, and with the name of
Israel shall entitle.
10. Who formed the god and cast the image to no use? 11. Lo, all his
fellows shall be ashamed, and the workmen themselves are of men; they
shall assemble all of them, they shall stand, they shall tremble,
they shall be ashamed together. 12. He has carved (iron) with a
graver, and has wrought (it) in the coals, and with his hammer he
will shape it. Besides, he is hungry and has no strength, he has not
drunk water and is faint. 13. He has carved wood, he has stretched a
line, he will mark it with the awl, he will form it with the chisel,
and with the compass he will mark it, and then he will make it after
the model of a man, like the beauty of mankind, to dwell in a house.
14. To hew him down cedars, and (now) he has taken a cypress and an
oak--and has raised it for himself among the trees of the forest--he
has planted a pine, and the rain shall increase (it). 15. And it
shall be to man for fuel, and he has taken of them and warmed
himself; yea, he will kindle and bake bread; yea, he will form a god
and fall prostrate; he has made it a graven image and bowed down to
them. 16. Half of it he hath burned in the fire; on half of it he
will eat flesh, he will roast and be filled; yea, he will warm
himself and say, Aha, I am warm, I have seen fire. 17. And the rest
of it he has made into a god, into his graven image; he will bow down
to it, and will worship, and will pray to it, and say, Deliver me,
for thou (art) my god. 18. They have not known, and they will not
understand, for He hath smeared their eyes from seeing, their hearts
from doing wisely. 19. And he will not bring it home to himself, and
there (is) not knowledge, and (there is) not understanding to say,
Half of it I have burned in the fire, and have also baked bread on
its coals; I will roast flesh and eat, and the rest of it I will make
to (be) an abomination; to a log of wood I will cast myself down.
20. Feeding on ashes, (his) heart is deceived; it has led him astray,
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and he cannot deliver himself; and he will not say, Is there not a
lie in my right hand?
21. Remember these (things), Jacob and Israel, for thou art My
servant; I have formed thee, a servant unto Me art thou; Israel, thou
shalt not be forgotten by Me. 22. I have blotted out, like a cloud,
thy transgressions, and like a vapour, thy sins; return to Me, for I
have redeemed thee. 23. Sing, O heavens, for Jehovah hath done (it);
shout, ye lower parts of the earth; break forth, ye mountains,
Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and in Israel He will glorify Himself.
24. Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, and thy Former from the womb,
I, Jehovah, making all, stretching the heavens alone, spreading the
earth by Myself.
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to him saying to a father, What wilt thou beget? and to a mother,
What wilt thou bring forth? 11. Thus saith Jehovah, the Holy One of
Israel and his Maker, Ask Me (of) the things to come; concerning My
sins and concerning the work of My hands, ye may command Me. 12. I
make the earth, and man upon it I created; I, My hands, spread the
heavens, and all their host commanded. 13. I, and no other, raised
him up in righteousness, and all his ways will I make straight; (it
is) he (that) shall build My city, and My captivity he will send
(home), not for reward, and not for hire, saith Jehovah of hosts.
14. Thus saith Jehovah, The toil of Egypt, and the gain of Cush, and
the Sebaim men of measure unto thee shall pass, and to thee shall
they belong, after thee shall they go, in chains shall they pass
over; and unto thee shall they bow themselves, to thee shall they
pray, saying, Only in thee (is) God, and there is none besides, no
(other) God. 15. Verily Thou art a God hiding Thyself, O God of
Israel, the Saviour! 16. They are ashamed and also confounded all of
them together, they are gone away in confusion--the carvers of
images. 17. Israel is saved in Jehovah (with) an everlasting
salvation; ye shall not be ashamed, and ye shall not be confounded
for ever. 18. For thus saith Jehovah, the Creator of the heavens--He
is God--the Former of the earth and its Maker--He established it--not
to be empty did He create it--to be inhabited He formed it--I am
Jehovah, and there is none besides. 19. Not in secret have I spoken,
in a dark place of the earth; I have not said to the seed of Jacob,
In vain seek ye Me. I (am) Jehovah, speaking truth, declaring right
things. 20. Gather yourselves and come; draw near together, ye
escaped of the nations. They know not, those carrying the wood, their
graven image, and praying to a god (who) cannot save. 21. Bring
forward and bring near! Yea, let them consult together. Who hath
caused this to be heard of old, since thou declared it! Have not I
Jehovah? and there is no other God besides Me; a righteous and a
saving God, there is none besides Me. 22. Turn unto Me and be ye
saved, all ye ends of the earth, for I am God, and there is none
besides. 23. By Myself I have sworn; the word is gone out of a mouth
of righteousness, and shall not return, that unto Me shall bow every
knee, shall swear every tongue. 24. Only in Jehovah have I, says he,
righteousness and strength; unto Him shall he come, and all that were
incensed at Him shall be ashamed. 25. In Jehovah shall be justified
and boast themselves all the seed of Israel.
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the beasts and to the cattle. Your burdens are packed up (as) a load
to the weary (beast). 2. They stoop, they bow together; they cannot
save the load; themselves are gone into captivity.
3. Hearken unto Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the
house of Israel, those borne from the belly, those carried from the
womb. 4. And to old age I am He, and to grey hair I will bear (you);
I have done it, and I will carry and I will bear and save (you).
5. To whom will ye liken Me, and equal and compare Me, that we may be
like? 6. The prodigals will weigh gold from the bag, and silver with
the rod; they will hire a gilder, and he will make it a god: they
will bow down, yea, they will fall prostrate. 7. They will lift him
on the shoulder, they will carry him, they will set him in his place,
and he will stand (there); from his place he will not move; yea, one
will cry to him, and he will not answer, from his distress he will
not save him.
4. Our Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts (is) His name, the Holy One of
Israel.
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5. Sit in silence and go into darkness, daughter of Chasdim! For thou
shalt not continue to be called mistress of kingdoms. 6. I was wroth
against My people; I profaned My heritage; and I gave them into thy
hand. Thou didst not show them mercy; on the ancient thou didst
aggravate thy yoke exceedingly; 7. and thou saidst, For ever I shall
be a mistress (of kingdoms); until (at last) thou didst not lay these
things to heart, thou didst not remember the end of it. 8. And now,
hear this, thou voluptuous one, the (one) sitting in security, the
(one) saying in her heart, I (am) and none besides; I shall not sit
(as) a widow, and I shall not know the loss of children; 9. and they
shall come to thee,--these two suddenly, loss of children and
widowhood in the midst of the multitude of thy enchantments, in the
midst of the multitude of thy spells. 10. And (yet) thou art secure
in thy wickedness; thou hast said, there is no one seeing me. Thy
wisdom and thy knowledge, it has seduced thee; and thou hast said in
thy heart, I am, and there is no other. 11. And so there cometh upon
thee evil,--thou shalt not know how to charm it away; and there shall
fall upon thee ruin,--thou shalt not be able to avert it; and there
shall come upon thee suddenly a crash,--thou shalt not know (it).
12. Persist now in thy spells and in the abundance of thy charms, in
which thou hast wearied thyself; perhaps thou wilt be able to
succeed, perhaps thou wilt grow strong. 13. Thou art wearied in the
multitude of thy counsel. Now let them stand and save thee, the
dividers of the heavens, the star-gazers, making known at the
new-moon what shall come upon thee. 14. Behold, they are like
stubble, fire has burned them; they cannot deliver themselves from
the hand of the flame; (this fire) is not a coal (at which) to warm
one's self; a fire to sit before. 15. Thus are they to thee; and so
are (even) thy traders: each to his own quarter, straight before him,
they wander; there is no one saving thee.
1. Here this, O house of Jacob, the man called by the name of Israel,
and from the waters of Judah they have come out; those swearing by
the name of Jehovah, and (who) of the God of Israel makes mention,
not in truth and not in righteousness. 2. Nor from the Holy City they
are called, and upon the God of Israel rely; Jehovah of hosts is His
name.
3. The former things since then I declared, and out of My mouth they
went forth, and I cause them to be heard; suddenly do I do (them),
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and they come to pass. 4. Because I know that thou art hard, and an
iron sinew (is) thy neck, and thy forehead brass, 5. therefore I told
thee long ago; before it comes I have let thee hear (it), lest thou
say, My idol did them, my graven image and my molten image ordered
them.
12. Hearken unto Me, O Jacob, and Israel My called; I am He, I am the
First, also I the Last. 13. Also My hand founded the earth, and My
right hand spread the heavens; I call to them, and they will stand up
together. 14. Assemble yourselves, all of you, and hear! Who among
them hath predicted these things? Jehovah loves him; He will do His
pleasure in Babylon, and His arm (shall be upon) the Chaldees. 15. I,
I have spoken; I have also called him; I have brought him (forth),
and he prospers in his way. 16. Draw near unto me! Hear this; not
from the beginning in secret have I spoken; from the time of its
being, I was there; and now the Lord Jehovah hath sent me, and His
Spirit.
17. Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am
Jehovah thy God, teaching thee to profit, making thee to tread in the
way thou shalt go. 18. Oh that thou hadst hearkened to My
commandments! then had thy peace been as a river, and thy
righteousness as the waves of the sea; 19. then should have been like
the sand thy seed, and the offspring of thy bowels like (the
offspring of) its bowels; his name should not be cut off from before
Me.
20. Go forth from Babel! Flee ye from the Chaldeans! With the voice
of joy tell this, cause it to be heard, utter it even to the end of
the earth; say ye, Jehovah hath redeemed His servant Jacob. 21. And
they thirsted not in the desert (through which) He made them go;
water from a rock He made to flow for them; and He clave the rock,
and waters gushed out. 22. There is no peace, saith Jehovah, to the
wicked.
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enlargement, attended by a joyous revelation in the state of the
whole world, vers. 10-16. The doubts and apprehensions of the Church
herself are twice recited under different forms, vers. 14, 24, and as
often met and silenced, first by repeated and still stronger promises
of God's unchanging love to His people and of their glorious
enlargement and success, vers. 15-23; then by an awful threatening of
destruction to their enemies and His, vers 25, 26.]
On the ways they shall feed, and in all bare hills shall be their
pasture. 10. They shall not hunger and they shall not thirst, and
there shall not smite them mirage and sun; for He that hath mercy on
them shall guide them, and by springs of water shall He lead them.
11. And I will place all mountains for the way, and My roads shall be
high. 12. Behold, these from afar shall come, and behold these from
the north and from the sea, and these from the land of Sinim.
13. Shout, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, let the mountains burst
forth into a shout; because Jehovah has comforted His people, and on
His sufferers He will have mercy.
14. And (yet) Zion said, Jehovah hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath
forgotten me. 15. Will a woman forget her suckling, so as not to have
mercy on the son of her womb? Even these will forget, and (yet) I
will not forget thee. 16. Behold, on My palms have I graven thee; thy
walls (are) before Me continually. 17. Thy sons hasten (to thee); thy
destroyers and thy wasters shall go out from thee. 18. Lift up thine
eyes round about and see; all of them are gathered together, they are
come to thee. (As) I live, saith Jehovah, (I swear) that all of them
as an ornament thou shalt put on, and bind them like the bride.
19. For thy ruins, and thy wastes, and thy land of desolation, for
now shalt thou be too narrow for the inhabitant, and far off shall be
thy devourers. 20. Again shall they say in thine ears, The sons of
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thy childlessness. (Too) narrow for me is the place; come near for
me, that I may dwell. 21. And thou shalt say in thine heart, Who hath
produced these for me? and I was bereaved and barren, an exile and a
banished one? And these who brought up? Behold, I was left alone;
these where were they? 22. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Behold I will
lift up to the nations My hand, and I will set up to the peoples My
standard; and they will bring thy sons in the bosom, and thy
daughters on the shoulders shall be carried. 23. And kings shall be
thy nursing-fathers, and their queens thy nursing-mothers; face to
the ground shall they bow to thee, and the dust of thy feet shall
they lick; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah, whose waiters shall
not be ashamed.
24. Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, and shall the captivity
of the righteous be delivered? 25. For thus saith Jehovah, Even the
captives of the mighty shall be taken, and the prey of the terrible
shall be delivered, and with thy strivers will I strive, and thy sons
will I save. 26. And I will make thy oppressors eat their (own)
flesh, and as with new wine with their blood shall they be drunken;
and all flesh shall know that I am Jehovah thy Saviour, and (that)
thy Redeemer is the Mighty One of Jacob.
2. Why did I come, and there was no man? (why) did I call, and there
was no one answering? Is My hand shortened, shortened, from
redemption? and is there with Me no power to deliver? Behold, by My
rebuke I will dry up the sea, I will make streams a wilderness; let
their fish stink for want of water and die of thirst. 3. I will
clothe the heavens in blackness, and sackcloth will I make their
covering.
4. The Lord God hath given to Me a ready tongue, that I might know
how to help the weary (with) a word. He will waken, every morning He
will waken for Me the ear, that I may hear like the disciples. 5. The
Lord Jehovah opened for Me the ear, and I resisted not, I did not
draw back. 6. My back I gave to those smiting, and My cheeks to those
plucking (the hair); My face I did not hide from shame and spitting.
7. And the Lord God will help Me, therefore I am not confounded;
therefore I have set My face as a flint, and I know that I shall not
be ashamed. 8. Near is My justifier; who will contend with Me? We
will stand together. Who is My adversary? Let him draw near to Me.
9. Behold, the Lord Jehovah will help Me; who (is) he (that) will
condemn Me? All they like the garment shall grow old; the moth shall
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devour them.
11. And the ransomed of Jehovah shall return and come to Zion with
shouting, and everlasting joy upon their head; gladness and joy shall
overtake (them), sorrow and sighing have fled away. 12. I, I am He
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that comforteth you; who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of man
(who) is to die, and of the son of man who (as) grass is to be given?
13. And hast forgotten Jehovah thy Maker, spreading the heavens and
founding the earth, and hast trembled continually all the day, from
before the wrath of the oppressor as he made ready to destroy? And
where is (now) the wrath of the oppressor? 14. He hastens bowing to
be loosed, and he shall not die in the pit, and his bread shall not
fail. 15. And I am Jehovah thy God, rousing the sea, and then its
waves roar; Jehovah of hosts (is) His name. 16. And I have put My
words in thy mouth, and in the shadow of My hand I have the earth,
and to say to Zion, Thou art My people. 17. Rouse thyself! rouse
thyself! Arise, Jerusalem! (thou) who hast drunk at the hand of
Jehovah the cup of His wrath; the bowl of the cup of reeling thou
hast drunk, thou hast wrung out.
18. There is no guide to hear of all the sons she has brought forth,
and no one grasping her hand of all the sons she has brought up.
19. Both these things are befalling thee: who will mourn for thee?
Wasting and ruin, famine and sword: who (but) I will comfort thee?
20. Thy sons were faint; they lie at the head of all the streets like
a wild bull in a net, filled with the wrath of Jehovah, the rebuke of
thy God. 21. Therefore pray hear this, thou suffering one, and
drunken, but not with wine; 22. thus saith thy Lord, Jehovah, and thy
God--He will defend His people--Behold, I have taken from thy hand
the cup of reeling, the bowl of the cup of My fury; thou shalt not
continue to drink it any more. 23. And I put it into the hand of
those that afflicted thee, that said to thy soul, Bow down and we
will pass over; and thou didst lay thy back as the ground, and as the
street for the passengers.
LII.--[However low the natural Israel may sink, the true Church shall
become more glorious than ever, being freed from the impurities
connected with her former state, ver. 1. This is described as a
captivity from which she is exhorted to escape, ver. 2. Her
emancipation is the fruit of God's gratuitous compassion, ver. 3. As
a nation she has suffered long enough, vers. 4, 5. The day is coming
when the Israel of God shall know in whom they have believed, ver. 6.
The herald of the new dispensation is described as already visible
upon the mountains, ver. 7. The very ruins of Jerusalem are summoned
to rejoice, ver. 9. The glorious change is witnessed by the whole
world. 10. The true church or Israel of God is exhorted to come out
of Jewry, ver. 11. This exodus is likened to the one from Egypt, but
described as even more auspicious, ver. 12. Its great leader, the
Messiah, as the Servant of Jehovah, must be and is to be exalted,
ver. 13. And this exaltation shall bear due proportion to the
humiliation which preceded it, vers. 14, 15.]
3. For thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Ye were sold for nought, and not
for money shall ye be redeemed. 4. For thus saith the Lord Jehovah,
Into Egypt went down My people at the first to sojourn there, and
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Assyria oppressed them for nothing. 5. And now what have I here,
saith Jehovah, that My people is taken away for nothing, its rulers
howl, saith Jehovah, and continually, all the day, My name is
blasphemed? 6. Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore in
that day (shall they know) that I am He that said, Behold Me!
7. How timely on the mountains are the feet of one bringing glad
tidings, publishing peace, bringing tidings of good, publishing
salvation, saying to Zion, Thy God reigneth! 8. The voice of thy
watchmen! They raise the voice, together will they shout; for eye to
eye will they see in Jehovah's returning to Zion. 9. Burst forth,
shout together, ruins of Jerusalem! For Jehovah hath comforted His
people, hath redeemed Jerusalem. 10. Jehovah hath bared His holy arm
to the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth have
seen the salvation of our God.
11. Away! away! go out from thence! the unclean touch not! come out
from the midst of her! Be clean, ye armour-bearers of Jehovah.
12. For not in haste shall ye go out, and in flight ye shall not
depart; for going before you (is) Jehovah, and bringing up your rear
the God of Israel.
13. Behold, my Servant shall do wisely, shall rise and be exalted and
high exceedingly. 14. As many were shocked at Thee--so marred from
man His look, and His form from the sons of men--15. so shall He
sprinkle many nations; concerning Him shall kings stop their mouth,
because what was not recounted to them they have seen, and what they
had not heard they have perceived.
LIII.--1. Who hath believed our report? and the arm of Jehovah, to
whom (or, upon whom) has it been revealed?
2. And He came up like the tender plant before Him, and like a root
from a dry ground; He had no form nor comeliness, and we shall see
Him, and no sight that we should desire it. 3. Despised and forsaken
of men (or ceasing from among men), a man of sorrows and acquainted
with sickness, and like one hiding the face from Him (or, us),
despised, and we esteemed Him not.
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4. Surely our sicknesses He bore, and our griefs He carried; and we
thought Him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted. 5. And He was
pierced (or, wounded) for our transgression, bruised (or, crushed)
for our iniquities; the chastisement (or, punishment) for our peace
(was) upon Him, and by His stripes we were healed. 6. And we like
sheep had gone astray, each to his own way we had turned, and Jehovah
laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
7. He was oppressed and He humbled Himself, and He will not open His
mouth--as a lamb to the slaughter is brought, and as a sheep before
its shearers is dumb--and He will not open His mouth. 8. From
distress and from judgment He was taken; and in His generation who
will think, that He was cut off from the land of the living; for the
transgression of my people (as) a curse for them? 9. And He gave with
wicked (men) His grave, and with a rich (man) in His death; because
(or, although) He had done no violence, and no deceit (was) in His
mouth.
10. And Jehovah was pleased to crush (or, bruise Him), He put Him to
grief (or, made Him sick); if (or, when) His soul shall make an
offering for sin, He shall see (His) seed, He shall prolong (His)
days, and the pleasure of Jehovah in His hand shall prosper. 11. From
the labour of His soul (or, life) He shall see, He shall be
satisfied; by His knowledge shall my servant (as) a righteous one,
give righteousness to many, and their iniquities He will bear.
12. Therefore will I divide to Him among the many, and with the
strong shall He divide the spoil, in lieu of this that He bared unto
death His soul, and with the transgressors was numbered, and He
(Himself) bare the sin of many, and for the transgressors He shall
make intercession.
1. Shout, O barren, that didst not bear; break forth into a shout and
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cry aloud, thou that didst not writhe (in childbirth): for more (are)
the children of the desolate than the children of the married
(woman), saith Jehovah. 2. Widen the place of thy tent, and the
curtains of thy dwelling let them stretch out; spare not (or, hinder
it not); lengthen thy cords and strengthen (or, make fast) thy
stakes. 3. For right and left shalt thou break forth (or, spread),
and thy seed shall possess (or, dispossess or inherit) nations, and
repeople ruined (or, forsaken) cities.
4. Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; and be not abashed, for
thou shalt not blush; for the shame of thy youth thou shalt forget,
and the reproach of thy widowhood thou shalt not remember any more.
5. For thy husband (is) thy Maker, Jehovah of hosts is His name; and
thy Redeemer (is) the Holy One of Israel, the God of all the earth
shall He be called. 6. For as a wife forsaken and grieved of spirit
has Jehovah called thee, and (as) a wife of youth, for she shall be
rejected, said thy God. 7. In a little moment I forsook thee, and in
great mercies I will gather thee. 8. In a gush of wrath I hid My face
for a moment from thee, and in everlasting kindness I have had mercy
on thee, saith thy Redeemer, Jehovah. 9. For the waters of Noah is
this to Me; what I sware from the waters of Noah passing again over
the earth [_i.e.,_ that they should not pass], so have I sworn from
being angry [that I will not be angry] against thee, and from
rebuking [that I will not] rebuke thee. 10. For the mountains shall
move and the hills shall shake; but My favour from thee shall not
move, and My covenant of peace shall not shake, saith thy pitier,
Jehovah. 11. Wretched, storm-tossed, comfortless! Behold, I am laying
(or, about to lay) thy stones in antimony, and I will found thee upon
sapphires; 12. and I will make thy battlements (or, pinnacles) ruby,
and thy gates to (be) sparkling gems, and all thy borders to (be)
stones of pleasure (or delight). 13. And all thy children disciples
of Jehovah, and great (or, plentiful) the peace of thy children.
14. In righteousness shalt thou be established: be far from
oppression, for thou shalt not fear, and from destruction, for it
shall not come near to thee. 15. Lo, they shall gather, they shall
gather, not at My sign (or, signal). Who has gathered against thee?
He shall fall away to thee. 16. Lo, I have created the smith, blowing
into the fire of coal, and bringing out a weapon for his work; and I
have created the wasters to destroy. 17. Every weapon (that) shall be
formed against thee shall not prosper, and every tongue that shall
rise with thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage
of the servants of Jehovah, and their righteousness from Me, saith
Jehovah.
LV.--[By the removal of the old restrictions, the Church is, for the
first time, open to the whole world, as the source or medium of the
richest blessings, ver. 1. It is only here that real nourishment can
be obtained, ver. 2. Life is made ours by an oath and covenant, ver.
3. The Messiah is a witness of the truth and a commander of the
nations, ver. 4. As such He will be recognised by many nations who
before knew nothing of the true religion, ver. 5. These are now
addressed directly, and exhorted to embrace the offered opportunity,
ver. 6. To this there is every encouragement afforded in the Divine
mercy, ver. 7. The infinite disparity between God and man should have
the same effect, instead of hindering it, vers. 8, 9. The commands
and promises of God must be fulfilled, vers. 10, 11. Nothing,
therefore, can prevent a glorious change in the condition of the
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world under the dispensation of the Spirit, ver. 12. This blessed
renovation, being directly promotive of God's glory, shall endure for
ever, ver. 13.]
1. Ho, every thirsty one, come ye to the waters; and he to whom there
is no money, come ye, buy (food) and eat; and come, buy, without
money and without price, wine and milk. 2. Why will ye weigh money
for (that which is) not bread, and your labour for (that which is)
not to satiety? Hearken, hearken unto me, and eat (that which is)
good, and your soul shall enjoy itself in fatness. 3. Incline your
ear and come unto me, hear and your soul shall live (or, let it
live), and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, the sure
mercies of David. 4. Lo, (as) a witness of nations I have given him,
a chief and commander of nations. 5. Lo, a nation (that) thou knowest
not shalt thou call, and a nation (that) have not known thee shall
run unto thee, for the sake of Jehovah thy God, and for the Holy One
of Israel, for He hath glorified thee.
10. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and
thither returneth not, but when it has watered the earth and made it
bear and put forth, and has given seed to the sower and bread to the
eater, 11. so shall My word be, which goeth out of My mouth: it shall
not return unto Me void (or, without effect), but when it has done
that which I desired, and successfully done that for which I sent it.
12. For with joy shall ye go forth, and in peace shall ye be led; the
mountains and the hills shall break out before you into a shout, and
all the trees of the field shall clap the hand. 13. Instead of the
thorn shall come up the cypress, and instead of the nettle shall come
up the myrtle, and it shall be to Jehovah for a name, for an
everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
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3. And let not the foreigner say, who has joined himself unto
Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will separate me wholly from His people; and
let not the eunuch say, Lo, I am a dry tree. 4. For thus saith
Jehovah to (or, as to) the eunuchs, who shall keep My Sabbaths, and
shall choose what I delight in, and take fast hold of My covenant,
5. I will give to them in My house and within My walls a place and a
name better than sons and than daughters; an everlasting name will I
give to him, which shall not be cut off. 6. And (as to) the
foreigners joining themselves to Jehovah to serve Him and to love the
name of Jehovah, to be to him for servants, every one keeping the
Sabbath from profaning it, and holding fast my covenant; 7. I will
bring them to My mount of holiness, and make them joyful in My house
of prayer, their offerings and their sacrifices (shall be) acceptance
on My altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all
nations. 8. Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, the gatherer of the outcasts
of Israel, Still (more) will I gather upon him (in addition) to his
gathered.
LVII.--[The righteous who died under the old economy were taken away
from the evil to come, vers. 1, 2. The wicked who despised them were
themselves proper objects of contempt, vers. 3, 4. Their idolatry is
first described in literal terms, vers. 5, 6. It is then represented
as a spiritual idolatry, vers. 7-9. Their obstinate persistence in
sin is represented as the cause of their hopeless and remediless
destruction, vers. 10-13. A way is prepared for spiritual Israel to
come out from among them, vers. 14. The hopes of true believers shall
not be deferred for ever, vers. 15, 16. Even these must be chastened
for their sins, ver. 17. But there is favour in reserve for all true
penitents, without regard to national distinctions, vers. 18. 19. To
the incorrigible sinner, on the other hand, peace is impossible,
vers. 20, 21.]
3. And ye (or, as for you), draw near hither, ye sons of the witch,
seed of the adulterer and the harlot. 4. At whom do ye amuse
yourselves? At whom do ye enlarge the mouth, prolong the tongue? Are
ye not children of rebellion (or, apostasy), a seed of falsehood?
5. Inflamed (or, inflaming yourselves) among the oaks (or,
terebinths), under every green tree, slaughtering the children in the
valleys, under the clefts of the rocks. 6. Among the smooth (stones)
of the valley (or, the brook) is thy portion; they, they are thy lot;
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also to them hast thou poured out a drink-offering, thou hast brought
up a meat-offering. Shall I for these things be consoled (_i.e.,_
satisfied without revenge)?
7. On a high and elevated mountain thou hast placed thy bed; also
there (or, even thither) hast thou gone up to offer sacrifice. 8. And
behind the door and the door-post thou hast placed thy memorial, far
away from me thou hast uncovered (thyself or thy bed), and hast gone
up, thou hast enlarged thy bed and hast covenanted from them, thou
hast loved their bed, thou hast provided room. 9. And thou hast gone
to the king in oil, and hast multiplied thine unguents, and hast sent
thine ambassadors even to a far-off (land), and hast gone (or, sent)
down even to hell.
10. In the greatness of thy way (or, the abundance of thy travel)
thou hast labour; (but) thou hast not said, There is no hope. Thou
hast found the life of thy hand; therefore thou art not weak. 11. And
whom hast thou feared and been afraid of, that thou shouldst lie? And
Me thou hast not remembered, thou hast not called to mind (or, laid
to heart). Is it not (because) I hold My peace, and that of old, that
thou wilt not fear Me? 12. I will declare thy righteousness and thy
works, and they shall not profit (or, avail) thee. 13. In thy crying
(_i.e.,_ when thou criest for help), let thy gatherings save thee!
And (yet) all of them the wind shall take up, and a breath shall take
away, and the (one) trusting in Me shall inherit the land and possess
My holy mountain.
14. And he shall say, Cast up, cast up, clear the way, take up the
stumbling-block from the way of the people! 15. For thus saith the
High and Exalted One, inhabiting eternity, and Holy is His name: On
high and holy will I dwell, and with the broken and humble of spirit,
to revive the spirit of the humble and to retrieve the heart of the
broken (or, contrite ones). 16. For not to eternity will I contend,
and not to perpetuity will I be wroth; for the spirit from before Me
will faint, and the souls (which) I have made.
17. For his covetous iniquity I am wroth and will smite him, (I will)
hide Me and will be wroth; for he has gone on turning away (_i.e.,_
persevering in apostasy) in the way of his heart (or, of his own
inclination). 18. His ways I have seen, and I will heal him, and will
guide him, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
19. Creating the fruit of the lips, Peace, peace to the far off and
to the near, saith Jehovah, and I will heal him.
20. And the wicked (are) like the troubled sea, for rest it cannot,
and its waters cast up mire and dirt. 21. There is no peace, saith my
God, to the wicked.
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1. Cry with the throat, spare not, like the trumpet raise thy voice,
and tell to My people their transgression, and to the house of Jacob
their sins.
2. And Me day (by) day they will seek, and the knowledge of My ways
they will delight in (or, desire), like a nation which has done
right, and the judgment of its God has not forsaken; they will ask of
Me righteous judgments, the approach to God (or, of God) they will
delight in (or, desire).
3. Why have we fasted, and Thou hast not seen (it)? afflicted our
soul (or, themselves) and Thou wilt not know (it)? Behold in the day
of your fast ye will find pleasure, and all your labours ye will
exact. 4. Behold, for strife and contention ye will fast, and to
smite with the flat of wickedness; ye shall not (or, ye will not)
fast to-day (so as) to make your voice heard on high. 5. Shall it be
like this, the fast that I will choose, the day of man's humbling
himself? Is it to hang his head like a bulrush, and make sackcloth
and ashes his bed? Wilt thou call this a fast, and a day of
acceptance (an acceptable day) to Jehovah?
8. Then shall break forth as the dawn thy light, and thy healing
speedily shall spring up; then shall go before thee thy
righteousness, and the glory of Jehovah shall be thy rereward (or,
bring up thy rear). 9. Then shalt thou call, and Jehovah will answer;
thou shalt cry, and He will say, Behold Me (here I am), if thou wilt
put away from the midst of thee the yoke, the pointing of the finger,
and the speaking of vanity.
10. And (if) thou wilt let out thy soul to the hungry, and the
afflicted soul will satisfy, then shall thy sight arise in the
darkness, and thy gloom as the (double light or) noon. 11. And
Jehovah will guide thee over, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and
thy bones shall He invigorate, and thou shalt be like a watered
garden, and like a spring of water whose waters shall not fail.
12. And they shall build from thee the ruins of antiquity (or,
perpetuity), foundations of age and age (_i.e.,_ of ages) shalt thou
raise up: and it shall be called to thee (or, thou shalt be called)
Repairer of the breach, Restorer of paths for dwelling.
13. If thou wilt turn away thy foot from the Sabbath to do thy
pleasure on My holy day, and wilt call the Sabbath a delight (and)
the holy (day) of Jehovah honourable, and wilt honour it by not doing
thy own ways, by not finding thy pleasure and talking talk; 14. then
shalt thou be happy in Jehovah, and I will make thee rule upon the
heights of the earth, and I will make thee eat the heritage of Jacob
thy father, for Jehovah's mouth hath spoken it.
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injustice, vers. 3, 4. The ruinous effects of these corruptions are
described, vers. 5, 6. Their violence and injustice are fatal to
themselves and to others, vers. 7, 8. The moral condition of the
people is described as one of darkness and hopeless degradation,
vers. 9-15. In this extremity, Jehovah interposes to deliver the true
Israel, vers. 16, 17. This can only be effected by the destruction of
the carnal Israel, vers. 18. The Divine presence shall no longer be
subjected to local restrictions, vers. 19. A Redeemer shall appear in
Zion to save the true Israel, vers. 20. The old dispensation shall
give place to the dispensation of the Word and Spirit, which shall
last for ever, ver. 21.]
3. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with
iniquity; your lips have spoken falsehood, your tongue will utter
wickedness. 4. There is none calling with justice, and there is none
contending with truth; they trust in vanity and speak falsehood,
conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity. 5. Eggs of the basilisk
they have hatched, and webs of the spider they will spin (or, weave);
the one eating their eggs shall die, and the crushed (egg) shall
hatch out a viper. 6. The webs shall not become (or, be for)
clothing, and they shall not cover themselves with their works: their
works are works of mischief (or, iniquity), and the doing of violence
is in their hands. 7. Their feet to evil will run, and they will
hasten to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of
mischief (or, iniquity); wasting and ruin are in their paths. 8. The
way of peace they have not known, and there is no justice in their
paths; their courses they have rendered crooked for them; every one
walking in them knows not peace.
Then Jehovah saw it, and it was evil in His eyes that there was no
judgment (or, practical justice). 16. And He saw that there was no
man, and He stood aghast that there was no one interposing; and His
own arm saved for Him, and His own righteousness, it upheld Him.
17. And He clothed Himself with righteousness as a coat of mail, and
a helmet of salvation on His head, and He clothed Himself with
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garments of vengeance (for) clothing. 18. According to (their) deeds,
according will He repay, wrath to His enemies, (their) desert to His
foes, to the isles (their) desert will He repay. 19. And they shall
fear from the west the name of Jehovah, and from the rising of the
sun His glory; for it shall come like a straitened stream, the spirit
of Jehovah raising a banner in it.
20. Then shall come for Zion a Redeemer, and for the converts from
apostasy in Jacob, saith Jehovah. 21. And I (or, as for me)--this
(is) My covenant with them, saith Jehovah. My Spirit which is on
thee, and My words which I have placed in thy mouth, shall not depart
out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith
Jehovah, from henceforth and for ever (or, from now and to eternity).
1. Arise, be light; for thy light is come, and the glory of Jehovah
has risen upon thee. 2. For behold, the darkness shall cover the
earth, and a gloom the nations, and upon thee shall Jehovah rise, and
His glory upon thee shall be seen. 3. And nations shall walk in thy
light, and kings in the brightness of thy rising.
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8. Who are these that fly as a cloud and as doves to their windows?
9. Because for Me the isles are waiting (or, must wait) and the ships
of Tarshish in the first place, to bring thy sons from far, their
silver and their gold with them, for the name of Jehovah thy God, and
for the Holy One of Israel, because He has glorified thee.
10. And strangers shall build thy walls, and their kings shall serve
thee; for in My wrath I smote thee, and in My favour I have had mercy
on thee. 11. And thy gates shall be open continually, day and night
they shall not be shut, to bring into thee the strength of nations
and their kings led (captive, or, in triumph). 12. For the nation and
the kingdom which will not serve thee shall perish, and the nations
shall be desolated, desolated.
13. The glory of Lebanon to thee shall come, cypress, plane, and box
together, to adorn the place of My sanctuary, and the place of My
feet I will honour.
14. Then shall come to thee bending the sons of thy oppressors, then
shall bow down to the soles of thy feet all thy despisers, and shall
call thee the City of Jehovah, Zion the holy place of Israel (or, the
Zion of the Holy One of Israel).
15. Instead of thy being forsaken and hated, and with none passing
(through thee), and I will place thee for a boast of perpetuity, a
joy of age and age. 16. And they shalt suck the milk of nations, and
the breast of kings shalt thou suck, and thou shalt know that I,
Jehovah, am thy Saviour, and (that) thy Redeemer (is) the Mighty One
of Jacob. 17. Instead of brass (or, copper) I will bring gold, and
instead of iron I will bring silver, and instead of wood brass, and
instead of stones iron, and I will place (or, make) thy government
peace, and thy rulers righteousness.
18. There shall be no more heard violence in thy land, desolation and
ruin in thy borders (or, within thy bounds); and thou shalt call
salvation thy walls, and thy gates praise. 19. No more shall be to
thee the sun for a light by day, and for brightness the moon shall
not shine to thee, and Jehovah shall become thy everlasting light,
and thy God thy glory. 20. The sun shall set no more, and thy moon
shall not be withdrawn; for Jehovah shall be unto thee an eternal
light, and completed the days of thy mourning. 21. And thy people,
all of them righteous, for ever shall inherit the earth, the branch
(or, shoot) of My planting, the work of My hands, to glorify Myself
(or, to be glorified). 22. The little one shall become a thousand,
and the small one a strong nation; I, Jehovah, in its time will
hasten it.
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truth and righteousness, vers. 10, 11.]
1. The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah (is) upon me, because Jehovah hath
anointed me to bring good news to the humble, He hath sent me to bind
up the broken in heart, to proclaim to captives freedom, and to the
bound open opening (of the eyes or of the prison doors); 2. to
proclaim a year of favour for Jehovah, and a day of vengeance for our
God; to comfort all mourners, 3. to put upon Zion's mourners--to give
them a crown instead of ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, a garment
of praise for a faint spirit; and it shall be called to them (or,
they shall be called) the oaks of righteousness, the planting of
Jehovah (_i.e.,_ planted by Jehovah) to glorify Himself.
10. (I will) joy, I will joy in Jehovah, let my soul exult in my God;
for He hath clothed me with garments of salvation, a mantle of
righteousness has He put on me, as a bridegroom adjusts his priestly
crown, and as the bride arrays her jewels. 11. For as the earth puts
forth its growth, and as the garden makes its plants to grow, so
shall the Lord Jehovah make to grow righteousness and praise before
all the nations.
1. For Zion's sake I will not be still, and for Jerusalem's sake I
will not rest, until her righteousness go forth as brightness, and
her salvation as a lamp (that) burneth. 2. And nations shall see thy
righteousness, and all kings thy glory; and there shall be called in
thee a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah shall utter. 3. And thou
shalt be a crown of beauty in Jehovah's hand, and a diadem of royalty
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in the palm of thy God. 4. No more shall it be called to thee (shalt
thou be called) Azubah (Forsaken), and thy land shall no more be
called Shemamah (Desolate), but thou shalt be called Hephzibah (my
delight is in her), and thy land Beulah (married), for Jehovah
delights in thee, and thy land shall be married. 5. For (as) a young
man marrieth a virgin, (so) shall thy sons marry thee, and (with) the
joy of a bridegroom over a bride shall thy God rejoice over thee.
6. On thy walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and
all the night long they shall not be silent. Ye that remind Jehovah,
let there be no rest to you, 7. and give no rest to Him, until He
establish and, until He place Jerusalem a praise in the earth.
8. Sworn hath Jehovah by His right hand, and by His arm of strength,
If I give (_i.e.,_ I will not give) thy corn any more as food to
thine enemies, and if the sons of the outland shall drink thy new
wine which thou hast laboured in (I am not God). 9. For those
gathering it shall eat it, and shall praise Jehovah, and those
collecting it shall drink it in My holy courts (or, in the courts of
My sanctuary). 10. Pass, pass through the gates, clear the way of the
people, raise high, raise high the highway, free (it) from stones,
raise a banner (or, a signal) over the nations. 11. Behold, Jehovah
has caused it to be heard to the end of the earth, Say ye to the
daughter of Zion, Behold thy salvation cometh; behold, His reward is
with Him and His hire before Him. 12. And they shall call them the
Holy People, the redeemed of Jehovah, and thou shalt be called
Derushah (sought for), Ir-lo-neczabah (city not forsaken).
1. Who (is) this coming from Edom, bright (as to His) garments from
Bozrah, this one adorned in His apparel, bending in the abundance of
His strength?
2. Why (is there) redness to Thy raiment, and (why are) Thy garments
like (those of) one treading in a wine-press?
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3. The press I have trodden by Myself, and of the nations there was
not a man with Me; and I will tread them in My anger, and trample
them in My fury, and in their juice shall spirt upon My garments, and
all My vesture I have stained. 4. For the day of vengeance (is) in My
heart, and the year of My redeemed is come. 5. And I look, and there
is none helping; and I stand aghast, and there is none sustaining;
and My own arm saves for Me, and My fury it sustains Me. 6. And I
tread the nations in My anger, and I make them drunk in My wrath, and
I bring down to the earth their juice.
8. And He said, Only they are My people, (My) children shall not lie
(or, deceive), and He became a Saviour for them. 9. In all their
enmity He was not an enemy, and the angel of His face (or, presence)
saved them; in His love and in His sparing mercy He redeemed them,
and He took them up and carried them all the days of old. 10. And
they rebelled, and grieved His Holy Spirit (or, Spirit of holiness),
and He was turned from them into an enemy, He himself fought against
them.
11. And he remembered the days of old, Moses (and) his people. Where
is He that brought them up from the sea, the shepherd of His flock?
Where is He that put within him His Holy Spirit? 12. Leading them by
the right hand of Moses (and) His glorious arm, cleaving the waters
from before them, to make for Him an everlasting name? 13. Making
them walk in the depths, like the horse in the desert they shall not
stumble. 14. As the herd into the valley will go down, the Spirit of
Jehovah will make him rest. So didst Thou lead Thy people, to make
for Thyself a name of glory.
15. Look (down) from heaven and see from Thy dwelling-place of
holiness and beauty! Where is Thy zeal and Thy might (or, mighty
deeds)? The sounding of Thy bowels and Thy mercies towards me have
withdrawn themselves. 16. For Thou (art) our Father; for Abraham hath
not known us, and Israel will not recognise us; Thou Jehovah art our
Father, our Redeemer of old (or, from everlasting) is Thy name.
17. Why wilt Thou make us wander, O Jehovah, from Thy ways? (why)
wilt Thou harden our heart from Thy fear? Return, for the sake of Thy
servants, the tribes of Thy inheritance. 18. For a little Thy holy
people possessed, our enemies trod down Thy sanctuary. 19. We are of
old, Thou has not ruled over them, Thy name has not been called upon
them. LXIV.--1. Oh that Thou wouldst rend the heavens (and) come
down, (that) from before Thee the mountains might quake (or flow
down), 2. as fire kindles brush, fire boils water--to make known Thy
name to Thine enemies, from before Thee nations shall tremble. 3. In
Thy doing fearful things (which) we expect not, (oh that) Thou
wouldst come down, (that) the mountains before Thee might flow down.
4. And from eternity they have not heard, they have not perceived by
the ear, the eye hath not seen, a God beside Thee (who) will do for
(one) waiting for Him.
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Thy ways shall they remember Thee; behold, Thou hast been wroth, and
we have sinned; in them is perpetuity, and we shall be saved. 6. And
we were like the unclean all of us, and like a filthy garment all our
righteousness (virtues or good works), and we faded like the (fading)
leaf all of us, and our iniquities like the wind will take us up (or,
carry us away). 7. And there is no one calling on Thy name, rousing
himself to lay hold on Thee; for Thou hast hid Thy face from us, and
hast melted us because of (or, by means of) our iniquities.
8. And now Jehovah, our Father (art) Thou, we the clay and Thou our
potter, and the work of Thy hands (are) we all. 9. Be not angry, O
Jehovah, to extremity, and do not to eternity remember guilt; lo,
look, we pray thee, Thy people (are) we all. 10. The holy cities are
a desert, Zion is a desert, Jerusalem a waste. 11. Our house of
holiness and beauty (in) which our fathers praised Thee has been
burned up with fire, and all our delights (or, desirable places) have
become a desolation. 12. Wilt Thou for these (things) restrain
Thyself, O Jehovah, wilt Thou keep silence and afflict us to
extremity?
1. I have been inquired of by those that asked not, I have been found
by those that sought Me not; I have said, Behold Me, behold Me, to a
nation (that) was not called by My name. 2. I have spread (or,
stretched) out My hands all the day (or, every day) to a rebellious
people, those going the way not good, after their own thoughts (or,
designs)--3. the people angering Me to My face continually,
sacrificing in the gardens, and censing on the bricks; 4. sitting in
the graves, and in the holes they will lodge, eating the flesh of
swine, and broth of filthy things (is in) their vessels; 5. the (men)
saying, Keep to thyself, come not near to me, for I am holy to
thee,--these (are) a smoke in My wrath, a fire burning all the day
(or, every day). 6 and 7. Lo, it is written before Me, I will not
rest except I repay, and I will repay into their bosom your
iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith
Jehovah, who burned incense on the mountains, and on the hills
blasphemed Me, and I will measure their first work into their bosom.
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one says, Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it, so will I do for
the sake of My servants, not to destroy the whole. 9. And I will
bring forth from Jacob a seed, and from Judah an heir of My
mountains, and My chosen ones shall inherit it, and My servants shall
dwell there. 10. And Sharon shall be for (or, become) a home of
flocks, and the valley of Achor a lair of herds, for My people who
have sought Me.
11. And (as for) you, forsakers of Jehovah, the (men) forgetting My
holy mountain, the (men) setting for Fortune a table, and the (men)
filling for Fate a mingled draught; 12. and I have numbered you to
the sword, and all of you to the slaughter shall bow; because I
called and ye did not answer, I spake and ye did not hear, and ye did
the (thing that was) evil in my eyes, and that which I desired not ye
chose.
13 and 14. Therefore thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Lo! My servants
shall eat and ye shall hunger; lo, My servants shall drink and ye
shall thirst; lo, My servants shall rejoice and ye shall be ashamed;
lo, My servants shall shout from gladness of heart, and ye shall cry
from grief of heart, and from brokenness of spirit ye shall howl.
15. And ye shall leave your name for an oath to My chosen ones, and
the Lord Jehovah shall slay thee, and shall call His servants by
another name (lit. call another name to them), 16. (by) which the
(man) blessing himself in the land (or, earth) shall bless himself by
the God of truth, and (by which) the (man) swearing in the land (or,
earth) shall swear by the God of truth, because forgotten are the
former enmities (or, troubles), and because they are hidden from My
eyes.
17. For lo I (am) creating (or, about to create) new heavens and a
new earth, and the former (things) shall not be remembered, and shall
not come up into the mind (lit. on the heart). 18. But rejoice and be
glad unto eternity (in) that which I (am) creating, for lo, I (am)
creating Jerusalem a joy, and her people a rejoicing. 19. And I will
rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; and there shall not be
heard in her again the voice of weeping and the voice of crying.
20. There shall be no more from there an infant of days, and an old
man who shall not fulfil his days, for the child a hundred years old
shall die, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. 21
and 22. And they shall build houses and inhabit (them), and shall
plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them, they shall not build and
another inhabit, they shall not plant and another eat; for as the
days of a tree (shall be) the days of My people, and the work of
their hands My chosen ones shall wear out (or, survive). 23. They
shall not labour in vain, and they shall not bring forth for terror;
for the seed of the blessed of Jehovah are they, and their offspring
with them. 24. And it shall be (or, come to pass), that they shall
not yet have called and I will answer, yet (shall) they (be) speaking
and I will hear. 25. The wolf and the lamb shall feed as one, and the
lion like the ox shall eat straw, and the serpent dust (for) his
food. They shall not hurt and they shall not corrupt (or, destroy) in
all My holy mountain, saith Jehovah.
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with hands, ver. 1. Every sincere and humble heart shall be His
residence, ver. 2. The ancient sacrifices, though Divinely
instituted, will henceforth be as hateful as the rites of idolatry,
ver. 3. They who still cling to the abrogated ritual will be
fearfully but righteously requited, ver. 4. The true Israel cast out
by these deluded sinners shall ere long be glorified, and the carnal
Israel fearfully rewarded, vers. 5, 6. The ancient Zion may already
be seen travailing with a new and glorious dispensation, vers. 7-9.
They who mourned for her seeming desolation, now rejoice in her
abundance and her honour, vers. 10-14. At the same time the carnal
Israel shall be destroyed, as apostates and idolaters, vers. 15-17.
The place where they once occupied shall now be filled by the elect
from all nations, ver. 18. To gather these, a remnant of the ancient
Israel shall go forth among the Gentiles, ver. 19. They shall come
from every quarter, and by every mode of conveyance, ver. 20. They
shall be admitted to the sacerdotal honours by the chosen people,
ver. 21. This new dispensation shall not be temporary, like the one
before it, but shall last for ever, ver. 22. While the spiritual
Israel is thus replenished from all nations, the apostate Israel
shall perish by a lingering decay in the sight of an astonished
world, ver. 23, 24.]
1. Thus saith Jehovah, the heavens (are) My throne, and the earth My
footstool; where is (or, what is) the house which ye will build for
Me, and where is (or, what is) the place of My rest? 2. And all these
My own hand made, and all these were (or, are), saith Jehovah; and to
this one will I look, to the afflicted and contrite in spirit, and
trembling at My word.
7. Before she travailed she brought forth, before her pain came she
was delivered of a male. 8. Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath
seen such things? Shall a land be brought forth in one day, or shall
a nation be born at once? For Zion hath travailed, she hath also
brought forth her children. 9. Shall I bring to the birth and not
cause to bring forth? saith Jehovah. Or am I the one causing to bring
forth, and shall I shut up? saith thy God.
10. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and exult in her, all that love her;
and be glad with her with gladness, all those mourning for her.
11. that ye may suck and be satisfied from the breast of her
consolations, that ye may milk out and enjoy yourselves, from the
fulness (or, the full breast) of her glory. 12. For thus saith
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Jehovah, Behold, I am extending to her peace like a river, and like
an overflowing stream the glory of nations; and ye shall suck; on the
side shall ye be borne, and on the knees shall ye be dandled. 13. As
a man who his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you, and in
Jerusalem shall ye be comforted. 14. And ye shall see, and your heart
shall leap (with joy), and your bones like grass shall sprout, and
the hand of Jehovah shall be known to His servants, and He shall be
indignant at His enemies.
15. For lo, Jehovah in fire will come, and like the whirlwind His
chariots, to appease in fury His anger, and His rebuke in flames of
fire. 16. For by fire is Jehovah striving and by His sword with all
flesh, and multiplied (or, many) are the slain of Jehovah. 17. The
(men) hallowing themselves and the (men) cleansing themselves to (or,
towards) the gardens after one in the midst, eaters of swine's flesh
and vermin and mouse, together shall cease (or, come to an end),
saith Jehovah.
18. And I--their works and their thoughts--it is come--to gather all
the nations and the tongues--and they shall come and see My glory.
19. And I will place in them (or, among them) a sign, and I will send
of them survivors (or, escaped ones) to the nations, Tarshish, Pul,
and Lud, drawers of the bow, Tubal and Javan, distant isles, which
have not heard my fame, and have not seen My glory, and they shall
declare My glory among nations. 20. And they shall bring all your
brethren from all nations, an oblation to Jehovah, with horses, and
with chariot, and with litters, and with mules, and with dromedaries,
on My holy mountain Jerusalem, saith Jehovah, as the children of
Israel bring the oblation in a clean vessel to the house of Jehovah.
21. And also of them, will I take for the priests, for the Levites,
saith Jehovah. 22. For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I
am making (or, about to make), are standing (or, about to stand)
before Me, saith Jehovah, so shall stand your name and your seed.
23. And it shall be (or, come to pass) that from new-moon to new-moon
(or, on every new-moon), and from Sabbath to Sabbath (or, on every
Sabbath), shall come all flesh to bow themselves (or, worship) before
Me, saith Jehovah. 24. And they shall go forth and gaze upon the
carcasses of the men who revolted (or, apostatised) from Me, for
their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched, and
they shall be a horror to all flesh.
TRANSLATION
OF THE
PROPHECIES OF ISAIAH,
GENERAL TITLE.--CHAP. I. 1.
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the kings of Judah.
_PART I._
4. Woe upon the sinful nation, the guilt-laden people, the miscreant
race, the children acting corruptly! They have forsaken Jehovah,
blasphemed Israel's Holy One, turned away backwards.
10. Hear the word of Jehovah, ye Sodom judges; give ear to the law of
our God, O Gomorrah nation! 11. What is the multitude of your slain
offerings to Me? saith Jehovah. I am satiated with the whole
offerings of rams, and the fat of stalled calves; and blood of
bullocks and sheep and he-goats I do not like. 12. When ye come to
appear before My face, who hath required this at your hands, to tread
My courts? 13. Continue not to bring lying meat offering; abomination
incense is it to Me. New-moon and Sabbath, calling of festal
meetings . . . I cannot bear ungodliness and a festal crowd. 14. Your
new-moons and your festive seasons My soul hateth; they have become a
burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. 15. And if ye stretch out
your hands, I hide Mine eyes from you; if ye make ever so much
praying, I do not hear: your hands are full of blood.
16. Wash, clean yourselves; put away the badness of your doings from
the range of My eyes; cease to do evil; 17. learn to do good, attend
to judgment, set the oppressor right, do justice to the orphan,
conduct the cause of the widow.
18. O come, and let us reason together, saith Jehovah. If your sins
come forth like scarlet cloth, they shall become white as snow; if
they are red as crimson, they shall come forth like wool! 19. If ye
then shall willingly hear, ye shall eat the good of the land; 20. if
ye shall obstinately rebel, ye shall be eaten by the sword! for the
mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it.
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21. How is she become an harlot, the faithful citadel! she, full of
right, lodged in righteousness, and now----murderers. 22. Thy silver
has become dross, thy drink mutilated with water. 23. Thy rulers are
rebellious and companions of thieves; every one loveth presents, and
hunteth after payment; the orphan they right not, and the cause of
the widow has no access to them.
27. Zion will be redeemed through judgment, and her returning ones
through righteousness; 28. and breaking up of the rebellious and
sinners together; and those who forsake Jehovah will perish. 29. For
they become ashamed of the terebinths, in which ye had your delight;
and ye must blush for the gardens, in which ye took pleasure. 30. For
ye shall become like a terebinth with withered leaves, and like a
garden that hath no water. 31. And the rich man becomes tow, and his
work the spark; and they will both burn together, and no one
extinguishes them.
FOOTNOTES:
II.--1. The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw of Judah and
Jerusalem.
2. And it cometh to pass at the end of the days, the mountain of the
house of Jehovah will be set at the top of the mountains, and exalted
over hills; all nations pour unto it. 3. And peoples in multitude go
and say, Come, let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house
of the God of Jacob; let Him instruct us out of His ways, and we will
walk in His paths: for instruction will go out from Zion, and the
word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. 4. And He will judge between the
nations, and deliver justice to many peoples; and they forge their
swords into coulters, and their spears into pruning-hooks. Nation
lifts not up sword against nation, neither do they exercise
themselves in war any more.
6. For Thou hast rejected Thy people, the house of Jacob; for they
are filled with things from the east and are conjurors like the
534
Philistines; and with the children of foreigners they go hand in
hand. 7. And their land is filled with silver and gold, and there is
no end in their treasures; and their land is filled with horses, and
there is no end of their chariots. 8. And their land is filled with
---- idols; the work of their own hands they worship, that which
their own fingers have made.
9. Thus, then, men are bowed down, and lords are brought low; and
forgive them--no, that Thou wilt not. 10. Creep into the rock, and
bury thyself in the dust, before the terrible look of Jehovah, and
before the glory of His majesty. 11. The people's eyes of haughtiness
are humbled, and the pride of their lords is bowed down; and Jehovah,
He only, stands exalted in that day.
12. For Jehovah of hosts hath a day over everything towering and
lofty, and over everything exalted; and it becomes low. 13. As upon
all the cedars of Lebanon, the lofty and exalted, so upon all the
oaks of Bashan; 14. as upon all mountains, the lofty ones, so upon
all hills the exalted ones; 15. as upon every high tower, so upon
every fortified wall; 16. as upon all ships of Tarshish, so upon all
works of curiosity. 17. And the haughtiness of the people is bowed
down, and the pride of the lords brought low; and Jehovah, He alone,
stands exalted in that day.
18. And the idols pass utterly away. 19. And they will creep into
caves in the rocks, and cellars in the earth, before the terrible
look of Jehovah, and before the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth
to put the earth in terror. 20. In that day will a man cast away his
idols of gold; and his idols of silver, which they made for him to
worship, to the moles and to the bats; 21. to creep into the cavities
of the stone-blocks, and into the clefts of the rocks, before the
terrible look of Jehovah and before the glory of His majesty, when He
arises to put the earth in terror.
22. Oh then, let man go, in whose nose is a breath, for what is he to
be estimated at? III.--1. For, behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts,
takes away from Jerusalem and from Judah supporter and means of
support, every support of bread and every support of water; 2. hero
and man of war, judge and prophet, and soothsayer and elder;
3. captains of fifty, and the highly distinguished, and counsellors,
and masters in art, and those skilled in muttering. 4. And I will
give the boys for princes, and caprices shall rule over them. 5. And
the people oppress one another, one this and another that; the boy
breaks out violently upon the old man, and the despised upon the
honoured. 6. When a man shall take hold of his brother in his
father's house, Thou hast a coat, thou shalt be our ruler, and take
this ruin under thy hand; 7. he will cry out in that day, I do not
want to be a surgeon; there is neither bread nor coat in my house: ye
cannot make me the ruler of the people.
8. For Jerusalem is ruined and Judah fallen; because their tongue and
their doings are against Jehovah, to defy the eyes of His glory.
9. The look of their faces testifies against them, and their sin they
make known like Sodom, without concealing it: woe to their soul! for
they do themselves harm. 10. Say of the righteous, that it is well
with him; for they will enjoy the fruit of their doings. 11. Woe to
the wicked! it is ill; for what his hands have wrought will be done
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to him. 12. My people, its oppressors are boys, and women rule over
it; my people, thy leaders are misleaders, who swallow up the way of
thy paths.
16. Jehovah hath spoken: because the daughters of Zion are haughty,
and walk about with extended throat, and blinking with the eyes, walk
about with tripping gait, and tinkle with their foot-ornaments:
17. the Lord of all makes the crown of the daughters of Zion scabbed,
and Jehovah will uncover their shame. 18. On that day the Lord will
put away the show of the ankle-clasps, and of the head-bands, and of
the crescents; 19. the ear-rings, and the arm-chains, and the light
veils; 20. the diadems, and the stepping-chains, and the girdles, and
the smelling-bottles, and the amulets; 21. the finger-rings and the
nose-rings; 22. the gala dresses, and the sleeve-frocks, and the
wrappers, and the pockets; 23. the hand-mirrors, and the
Sindu-cloths, and the turbans, and the gauze mantles. 24. And instead
of balmy scent there will be mouldiness, and instead of artistic
ringlets a baldness, and instead of the dress-cloak a frock of
sack-cloth, branding instead of beauty. 25. Thy men fall by the
sword, and thy might in war. 26. Then will her gates lament and
mourn, and desolate is she and sits down upon the ground. IV.--1. And
seven women lay hold of one man in that day, saying, We will eat our
own bread, and wear our own clothes; only let thy name be named upon
us, take away our reproach.
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grapes.
8. Woe unto them that join house to house, who lay field to field,
till there is no more room, and ye alone are dwelling in the midst of
the land. 9. Into mine ears, Jehovah of hosts: Of a truth many houses
shall become a wilderness, great and beautiful ones deserted. 10. For
ten yokes of vineyard will yield one pailful, and a quarter of
seed-corn will produce a bushel.
11. Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning to run after
strong drink: who continue till late at night with wine inflaming
them! 12. And guitar and harp, kettle-drum, and flute, and wine is in
their feast; but they regard not the work of Jehovah, and see not the
purpose of His hands.
18. Woe unto them that draw crime with cords of lying, and sin as
with the rope of the waggon; 19. who say, Let Him hasten, accelerate
His work, that we may see; and let the counsel of the Holy One of
Israel draw near and come, that we may experience it.
20. Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who give out
darkness for light, and light for darkness; who give out bitter for
sweet, and sweet for bitter.
21. Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in
their own sight.
22. Woe unto those who are heroes to drink wine, and brave men to
mingle strong drink; 23. who acquit criminals for a bribe, and take
away from every one the righteousness of the righteous.
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24. Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours stubble, and hay sinks
together in the flame, their root will become like mould, and their
blossom fly up like dust; for they have despised the law of Jehovah
of hosts, and scornfully rejected the proclamation of the Holy One of
Israel. 25. Therefore is the wrath of Jehovah kindled against His
people, and He stretches His hand over them, and sites them; then the
hills tremble, and their carcass become like sweepings in the midst
of the streets.
For all this His anger is not appeased, and His hand is stretched out
still, 26. and lifts up a banner to the distant nations, and hisses
to it from the end of the earth; and, behold, it comes with haste
swiftly. 27. There is none exhausted, and none stumbling among them:
it gives itself no slumber, and no sleep; and to none is the girdle
of his hips loosed; and to none is the lace of his shoes broken;
28. he whose arrows are sharpened, and all his bows strung; the hoofs
of his horses are counted like flint, and his wheels like the
whirlwind. 29. Roaring issues from it as from the lioness: it roars
like lions, and utters a low murmur; seizes the prey, carries it off,
and no one rescues. 30. And it utters a deep roar over it in that day
like the roaring of the sea: and it looks to the earth, and behold
darkness, tribulation, and light; it becomes night over it in the
clouds of heaven.[3]
FOOTNOTES:
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And one shall look unto the earth, _and, behold, darkness;_
even the light is an adversary (or, is anguish); dark is it
amidst the clouds thereof.--_Kay._
1. The year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord of all sitting upon
a high and exalted throne, and His borders filling the temple.
2. Above it stood the seraphim: each one had six wings; with two he
covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he did
fly. 3. And one cried to the other, and said,
4. And the foundation of the threshold shook with the voice of them
that cried; and the house became full of smoke.
5. Then said I, Woe unto me! for I am lost; for I am a man of unclean
lips, and I am dwelling among a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes
have seen the King, Jehovah of hosts.
8. Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and
who will go for us? Then I said, Behold me here; send me!
9. He said, Go, and tell this people, Hear on, and understand not;
and look on, but perceive not. 10. Make ye the heart of this people
greasy, and their ears heavy, and their eyes sticky; that they may
not see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and their heart
understand, and they be converted, and one heal them.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] And though there be only a tenth part in it, even that
shall be again consumed; yet as a teil-tree, and as an oak,
whose stocks [stumps] remain to them, when they are felled,
so the holy seed shall be the stock [stump]
thereof.--_Strachey._
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_PART II._
1. It came to pass, in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of
Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Aramæa, and Pekah the
son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war
against it, and (he) could not make war upon it. 2. And it was told
the house of David, Aram has settled down upon Ephraim: then his
heart shook, and the heart of the people, as trees of the wood shake
before the wind.
3. Then said Jehovah to Isaiah, Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou and
Shear-jashub thy son, to the end of the aqueduct of the upper pool,
to the road of the fuller's field; 4. and say unto him, Take heed,
and keep quiet; and let not thy heart become soft from these two
smoking firebrand stumps! at the fierce anger of Rezin, and Aram, and
the son of Remaliah. 5. Because Aram hath determined evil over thee,
Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, saying, 6. We will march against
Judah, and terrify it, and conquer it for ourselves, and make the son
of Tabeal king in the midst of it: 7. thus saith the Lord Jehovah, It
will not be brought about, and will not take place. 8. For head of
Aram is Damascus, and head of Damascus Rezin, and in five-and-sixty
years will Ephraim as a people be broken to pieces. 9. And head of
Ephraim is Samaria, and head of Samaria the son of Remaliah; if ye
believe not, surely ye will not remain.
10. And Jehovah continued speaking to Ahaz as follows: 11. Ask thee a
sign of Jehovah thy God, going deep down into Hades, or high up to
the height above. 12. But Ahaz replied, I dare not ask, and dare not
tempt Jehovah. 13. And he spake, Hear ye now, O house of David! Is it
too little to you to weary men, that ye weary my God also?
14. Therefore the Lord, He will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin
conceives, and bears a son, and calls his name Immanuel. 15. Butter
and honey will he eat, at the time that he knows to refuse the evil
and choose the good. 16. For before the boy shall understand to
refuse the evil and choose the good, the land will be desolate, of
whose two kings thou art afraid.
17. Jehovah will bring upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon thy
father's house, days such as have not come since the day when Ephraim
broke away from Judah--the king of Asshur. 18. And it comes to pass
in that day, Jehovah will hiss for the fly which is at the end of the
Nile-arms of Egypt, and the bees that are in the land of Asshur;
19. and they come and settle all of them in the valleys of the
slopes, and in the clefts of the rocks, and in all the thorn-hedges,
and upon all grass-plats. 20. In that day will the Lord shave with a
razor, the thing for hire on the shore of the river, with the king of
Assyria, the head and the hair of the feet: and even the beard it
will take away. 21. And it will come to pass in that day, that a man
will keep a small cow and a couple of sheep; 22. and it comes to
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pass, for the abundance of the milk they will give he will eat cream:
for butter and honey will every one eat that is left within the land.
23. And it will come to pass in that day, every place where a
thousand vines stood at a thousand silverlings will have become
thorns and thistles. 24. With arrows and with bows will men go, for
the whole land will have become thorns and thistles. 25. And all the
hills that were accustomed to be hoed with the hoe, thou wilt not go
to them for fear of thorns and thistles; and it has become a
gathering-place for oxen, and a treading-place for sheep.
1. Then Jehovah said to me, Take a large slab, and write upon it with
common strokes, "In speed spoil, booty hastens:" 2. and I will take
to me trustworthy witnesses, Uriyah the priest, and Zehcaryahu the
son of Yeberechyahu.
3. And I drew near to the prophetess; and she conceived, and bare a
son: and Jehovah said to me, Call his name
In-speed-spoil-booty-hastens (Maher-shalal-hash-baz): 4. for before
the boy shall know how to cry, My father, and my mother, they will
carry away the riches of Damascus, and the spoil of Samaria, before
the king of Asshur.
11. For Jehovah hath spoken thus to me, overpowering me with God's
hand, and instructing me not to walk in the way of this people,
saying, 12. Call ye not conspiracy all that this people calls
conspiracy; and what is feared by it, fear ye not, neither think ye
dreadful. 13. Jehovah of hosts, sanctify Him; and let Him be your
fear, and let Him be your terror. 14. So will He become a sanctuary,
but a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence (vexation) to both the
houses of Israel, a snare and a trap to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
15. And many among them shall stumble, and shall fall; and be dashed
to pieces, and be snared and taken.
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16. Bind up the testimony, seal the lesson in my disciples. 17. And I
will wait upon Jehovah, who hides His face before the house of Jacob,
and hope for Him. 18. Behold, I and the children which God hath given
me for signs and types in Israel, from Jehovah of hosts, who dwelleth
upon mount Zion. 19. And when they shall say to you, Inquire of the
necromancers, and of the soothsayers that chirp and whisper:--should
not a people inquire of its God? for the living to the dead? 20. To
the teaching of God, and to the testimony! If they do not accord with
this word, they are a people for whom no morning dawns. 21. And it
goes about therein hardly pressed and hungry: and it comes to pass,
when hunger befalls it, it frets itself, and curses by its king and
by its God, and turns its face upward, 22. and looks to the earth,
and behold distress and darkness, benighting with anguish, and thrust
out into darkness.
IX.--1. For it does not remain dark where there is now distress: in
the first time He brought into disgrace the land of Zebulun and the
land of Naphtali, and in the last He brings to honour the road by the
sea, the other side of Jordan, the circle of the Gentiles.
2. The people that walk about in darkness see a great light; they who
dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light shines.
3. Thou multipliest the nation, preparest it great joy; they rejoice
before Thee like the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they share
the spoil. 4. For the yoke of its burden and the stick of its neck,
the splinters, as in the day of Midian. 5. For every boot of those
who tramp with boots in the tumult of battle, and cloak rolled in
blood, shall be for burning, a food of fire. 6. For unto us a child
is born, unto us a son is given; and the government rests upon His
shoulder: and they call His name Wonder, Counsellor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7. To the increase of government and
to peace without end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom,
to strengthen it, and to support it through judgment and
righteousness from henceforth even for ever. The jealousy of Jehovah
of hosts will perform this.
8. The Lord sends out a word against Jacob, and it descends into
Israel. 9. And all the people must make atonement, Ephraim and the
inhabitants of Samaria, saying in pride and haughtiness of heart,
10. "Bricks are fallen down, and we build with square stones;
sycamores are hewn down, and we put cedars in their place."
11. Jehovah raises Rezin's oppressors high above him; and pricks up
his enemies: 12. Aram from the east, and Philistines from the west;
they devour Israel with full mouth. For all this His anger is not
turned away, and His hand is stretched out still.
13. But the people turneth not into Him that smiteth it, and they
seek not Jehovah of hosts. 14. Therefore Jehovah rooteth out of
Israel head and tail, palm-branch and rush, in one day. 15. Elders
and highly distinguished men, this is the head; and prophets, lying
teachers, this is the tail. 16. The leaders of this people have
become leaders astray, and their followers swallowed up.
17. Therefore the Lord will not rejoice in their young men, and will
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have no compassion on their orphans and widows: for all together are
profligate and evil-doers, and every mouth speaketh blasphemy. With
all this His anger is not turned away, and His hand is stretched out
still.
18. For the wickedness burneth up like fire: it devours thorns and
thistles, and burns in the thickets of the wood; and they smoke
upwards in a lofty volume of smoke. 19. Through the wrath of Jehovah
of hosts the land is turned into coal, and the nation has become like
the food of fire: not one spares his brother. 20. They hew on the
right, and are hungry; and devour on the left, and are not satisfied:
they devour the flesh of their own arm: 21. Manasseh, Ephraim; and
Ephraim, Manasseh: these together over Judah. With all this His anger
is not turned away, and His hand is stretched out still.
X.--1. Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and to the
writers who prepare trouble; 2. to force away the needy from
demanding justice, and to rob the suffering of my people of their
rightful claims, that widows may become their prey, and they plunder
orphans! 3. And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the
storm that cometh from afar? To whom will ye flee for help? and where
will ye deposit your glory? 4. There is nothing left but to bow down
under prisoners, and they fall under the slain. With all this His
anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.
12. And it will come to pass, when the Lord shall have brought to an
end all His work upon mount Zion and upon Jerusalem, I will come to
punish over the fruit of the pride of heart of the king of Asshur,
and over the haughty look of his eyes. 13. For he hath said, By the
strength of my hand I have done it, and by my own wisdom; for I am
prudent: and I removed the bounds of the nations, and I plundered
their stores, and threw down rulers like a bull. 14. And my hand
extracted the wealth of the nations like a nest: and as men sweep up
forsaken eggs, have I swept the whole earth; there was none that
moved the wing, and opened the mouth, and chirped.
15. Dare the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith, or
the saw magnify itself against him that useth it? As if a staff were
to swing those that lift it up, as if a stick should lift up
not--wood! 16. Therefore will the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send
consumption against his fat men; and under Asshur's glory there burns
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a brand like a firebrand. 17. And the light of Israel becomes a fire,
and his Holy One a flame; and it sets on fire and devours its
thistles and thorns in one day. 18. And the glory of his forest and
his garden-ground will He destroy, even to soul and flesh, so that it
is as when a sick man dieth. 19. And the remnant of the trees of his
forest can be numbered, and a boy could write them.
20. And it will come to pass in that day, the remnant of Israel, and
that which has escaped of the house of Jacob, will not continue to
stay itself upon its chastiser, and will stay itself upon Jehovah,
the Holy One of Israel, in truth. 21. The remnant will turn, the
remnant of Jacob, to God the Mighty. 22. For if thy people were even
as the sea-sand, the remnant thereof will turn: destruction is firmly
determined, flowing away righteousness. 23. For the Lord, Jehovah of
hosts, completes the finishing-stroke and that which is firmly
determined, within the whole land.
24. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, My people that
dwellest on Zion, be not afraid of Asshur, if it shall smite thee
with the rod, and lift up its stick against thee, in the manner of
Egypt. 25. For yet a very little while the indignation is past, and
my wrath turns to destroy them: 26. and Jehovah of hosts moves the
whip over it, as He smite Midian at the rock of Oreb; and His staff
stretches out over the sea. 27. And it will come to pass in that day,
its burden will remove from thy shoulder, and its yoke from thy neck;
and the yoke will be destroyed from the pressure of the fat.
33. Behold, the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, lops down the branches with
terrific force; and those of towering growth are hewn down, and the
lofty are humbled. 34. And He fells the thickets of the forest with
iron; and Lebanon, it falls by a Majestic One.
XI.--1. And there cometh forth a twig out of the stump of Jesse, and
a shoot from the roots bringeth forth fruit. 2. And the Spirit of
Jehovah descends upon Him, spirit of wisdom and understanding, spirit
of counsel and might, spirit of knowledge and fear of Jehovah; 3. and
fear of Jehovah is fragrance to Him; and He judges not according to
outward sight, neither does He pass sentence according to outward
hearing; 4. and judges the poor with righteousness, and passes
sentence with equity for the humble in the land; and smites the earth
with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He slays
the wicked. 5. And righteousness is the girdle of His loins, and
faithfulness the girdle of His hips.
6. And the wolf dwells with the lamb, and the leopard lies down with
the kid; and calf and lion and stalled ox together; a little boy
drives them. 7. And cow and bear go to the pasture; their young ones
lie down together: and the lion eats chopped straw like the ox.
8. And the suckling plays by the hole of the adder, and the weaned
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child stretching its hand to the pupil of the basilisk-viper. 9. They
will not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain: for the land is
filled with knowledge of Jehovah, like the waters covering the sea.
10. And it will come to pass in that day: the root-sprout of Jesse,
which stands as a banner of the people's, for it will nations ask,
and its place of rest is glory.
11. And it will come to pass in that day, the Lord will stretch out
His hand a second time to redeem the remnant of His people that shall
be left, out of Asshur, and out of Egypt, and out of Pathros, and out
of Ethiopia, and out of Elam, and out of Shinar, and out of Hamath,
and out of the islands of the sea. 12. And He raises a banner for the
nations, and fetches home the outcasts of Israel; and the dispersed
of Judah will He assemble from the four borders of the earth. 13. And
the jealousy of Ephraim is removed, and the adversaries of Judah are
cut off; Ephraim will not show jealousy towards Judah, and Judah will
not oppose Ephraim. 14. And they fly upon the shoulder of the
Philistines seawards; unitedly they plunder the sons of the East:
they seize upon Edom and Moab, and the sons of Amon are subject to
them. 15. And Jehovah pronounces the ban upon the sea-tongue of
Egypt, and swings His hand over the Euphrates in the glow of His
breath, and smites it into seven brooks, and makes it so that men go
through in shoes. 16. And there will be a road for the remnant of His
people that shall be left, out of Asshur, as it was for Israel in the
day of its departure out of the land of Egypt.
3. And with rapture ye will draw water out of the wells of salvation.
4-6. And ye will say in that day,
_PART III._
XIII.--1. Oracle concerning Babel, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did
see.
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2. On woodless mountain lift ye up a banner, call to them with a loud
sounding voice, shake the hand, that they may enter into the gates of
princes! 3. I, I have summoned My sanctified ones, also called My
heroes to My wrath, My proudly rejoicing ones. 4. Hark, a rumbling on
the mountains after the manner of a great people! hark, a rumbling of
kingdoms met together! Jehovah of hosts musters an army, 5. those
that have come out of a distant land, from the end of heaven: Jehovah
and His instruments of wrath, to destroy the whole earth. 6. Howl;
for the day of Jehovah is near; like a destructive force from the
Almighty it comes. 7. Therefore all arms hang loosely down, and every
human heart melts away. 8. And they are troubled: they fall into
cramps and pangs; like a woman in labour they twist themselves: one
stares at the other; their faces are faces of flame. 9. Behold, the
day of Jehovah cometh, a cruel one, and wrath and fierce anger, to
turn the earth into a wilderness: and its sinners He destroys out of
it.
10. For the stars of heaven, and its Orions, will not let their light
shine: the sun darkens itself at its rising, and the moon does not
let its light shine. 11. And I visit the evil upon the world, and
upon sinners their guilt, and sink into silence the pomp of the
proud; and the boasting of tyrants I throw to the ground. 12. I make
men more precious than fine gold, and people than a jewel of Ophir.
13. Therefore I shake the heavens, and the earth trembles away from
its place, because of the wrath of Jehovah of hosts, and because of
the day of His fierce anger. 14. And it comes to pass as a gazelle
which is scared, and as a flock without gatherers: they turn every
one to his people, and they flee every one to his land. 15. Every one
that is found is pierced through, and every one that is caught falls
by the sword. 16. And their infants are dashed to pieces before their
eyes, their homes plundered, and their wives ravished. 17. Behold, I
rouse up the Medes over them, who do not regard silver, and take no
pleasure in gold. 18. And bows dash down young men; and they have no
compassion on the fruit of the womb: their eye has no pity on
children.
19. And Babel, the ornament of kingdoms, the proud boast of the
Chaldeans, becomes like Elohim's overthrowing judgments upon Sodom
and Gomorrah. 20. She remains uninhabited for ever, and unoccupied
into generation of generations; and not an Arab pitches his tent
there, and shepherds do not make their folds there. 21. And there lie
beasts of the desert, and horn-owls fill their houses; and ostriches
dwell there, and field-devils hop about there. 22. And jackals howl
in her castles, and wild dogs in palaces of pleasure; and her time is
near to come, and her days will not be prolonged.
XIV.--1. For Jehovah will have mercy on Jacob, and will once more
choose Israel, and will settle them down in their own land: and the
foreigner will associate with them, and they will cleave to the house
of Jacob. 2. And nations take them, and accompany them to their
place; and the house of Israel takes them to itself in the land of
Jehovah for servants and maid-servants: and they hold in captivity
those who led them away captive; and become lords over their
oppressors. 3. And it cometh to pass, on the day that Jehovah giveth
thee the rest from thy plague, and from thy cares, and from the heavy
bondage wherein thou wast made to serve, 4. that thou shalt raise
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such a song of triumph concerning the king of Babel and say--
18. All the kings of the nations, they are all interred in honour,
every one in his house: 19. but thou art cast away far from thy
sepulchre like a shoot hurled away, clothed with slain, with those
pierced through with the sword, those that go down to the stones of
the pit; like a carcass trodden under feet. 20. Thou art not united
with them in burial, for thou hast destroyed thy land, murdered thy
people.
The seed of evil-doers will not be named for ever. 21. Prepare a
slaughter-house for his sons, because of the iniquity of their
fathers! They shall not rise and conquer lands, and fill the face of
the earth with cities.
22. And I will rise up against them, saith Jehovah of hosts, and root
out in Babel name and remnant, sprout and shoot, saith Jehovah.
23. And I will make it the possession of hedgehogs and marshes of
water, and sweep it away with the besom of destruction, saith Jehovah
of hosts.
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it back?
28. In the year of the death of King Ahaz the following oracle was
uttered.
29. Rejoice not so fully, O Philistia, that the rod which smote thee
is broken to pieces; for out of the serpent's root comes forth a
basilisk, and its fruit is a flying dragon. 30. And the poorest of
the poor will feed, and needy ones lie down in peace; and I kill thy
root through hunger, and he slays thy remnant.
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6. We have heard of the pride of Moab, the very haughty (pride), the
haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath, the falsehood of his
speech. 7. Therefore will Moab wail for Moab, everything will wail:
for the grape-cakes of Kir-Haraseth will ye whine, utterly crushed.
8. For the fruit-fields of Heshbon have faded away: the vine of
Simmah, lords of the nations its branches smote down: they reached to
Ja'zer, trailed through the desert: its branches spread themselves
out wide, crossed over the sea. 9. Therefore I bemoan the vine of
Sibmah with the weeping of Jazer; I flood thee with my tears, O
Heshbon and Elealeh, that Hêdad hath fallen upon thy fruit-harvest
and upon thy vintage. 10. And joy is taken away, and the rejoicing of
the garden-land; and there is no exulting, no shouting in the
vineyards: the treader treads out no wine in the presses; I put an
end to the Hêdad. 11. Therefore my bowels sound for Moab like a harp,
and my inside for Kir-Heres. 12. And it will come to pass, when it is
seen that Moab is weary with weeping upon the mountain height, and
enters into its sanctuary to pray, it will not gain anything.
13. This is the word which Jehovah spake long ago concerning Moab.
And now Jehovah speaketh thus: In three years, like the years of a
hireling, the glory of Moab is disgraced, together with all the
multitude of the great: a remnant is left, contemptibly small, and
not great at all.
Behold, Damascus must (be taken) away out of the number of the
cities, and will be a heap of fallen ruins. 2. The cities of Aroer
are forsaken, they are given up to flocks, they lie there without any
one scaring them away. 3. And when the fortress of Ephraim is
abolished, and the kingdom of Damascus; and it happens to those that
are left of Aram as to the glory of the sons of Israel, saith Jehovah
of hosts.
4. And it comes to pass in that day, the glory of Jacob wastes away,
and the fat of his flesh grows thin. 5. And it will be as when a
reaper grasps the stalks of wheat, and his arm mows off the ears; and
it will be as with one who gathers ears in the valley of Rephaim.
6. Yet a gleaning remains from it, as at the olive-beating: two,
three berries high up at the top; four, five in its, the fruit-tree's
branches, saith Jehovah the God of Israel. 7. At that day will man
look up to his Creator, and his eyes will look to the Holy One of
Israel. 8. And he will not look to the altars, the work of his hands;
and what his fingers have made he will not regard, neither the
Astartes nor the sun-gods.
9. In that day will his fortified cities be like the ruins of the
forest and of the mountain top, which they cleared before the sons of
Israel: and there arises a waste place. 10. For thou hast forgotten
the God of thy salvation, and hast not thought of the Rock of thy
stronghold, therefore thou plantest charming plantations, and didst
set them with strange vines. 11. In the day that thou plantedst, thou
didst make a fence; and with the morning dawn thou madest thy sowing
to blossom: a harvest heap in the day of deep wounds and deadly
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sorrow of heart.
12. Woe to the roaring of many nations: like the roaring of seas they
roar; and low the rumbling of nations, like the rumbling of mighty
waters they rumble! 13. Nations, like the rumbling of mighty waters
they rumble; and He threatens it: then it flies far away, and is
chased like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a
cloud of dust before the gale. 14. At eventide, behold consternation;
and before the morning dawn it is destroyed! this is the portion of
our plunderers, and the lot of our robbers.
5. And the waters will dry up from the sea, and the river is parched
and dried. 6. And the arms of the river spread a stench; the channels
of Matzor become shallow and parched: reed and rush shrivel up.
7. The meadow by the Nile, on the border of the Nile, and every
cornfield of the Nile, dries up, is scattered, and disappears. 8. And
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the fishermen groan, and all who throw draw-nets into the Nile
lament, and they that spread out the net upon the face of the waters
languish away. 9. And the workers of fine combed flax are confounded,
and the weavers of cotton fabrics. 10. And the pillars of the land
are ground to powder; all that work for wages are troubled in mind.
11. The princes of Zoan become mere fools, the wise counsellors of
Pharaoh; readiness in counsel is stupefied. How can ye say to
Pharaoh, I am a son of wise men, a son of kings of the olden time?
12. Where are they then, thy wise men? Let them announce to thee, and
know what Jehovah of hosts hath determined concerning Egypt. 13. The
princes of Zoan have become fools, the princes of Memphis are
deceived; and they have led Egypt astray who are the corner-stone of
its castes. 14. Jehovah hath poured a spirit of giddiness into the
heart of Egypt, so that they have led Egypt astray in all its doing,
as a drunken man wandereth about in his vomit. 15. And there does not
occur of Egypt any work which worked, of head and tail, palm-branch
and rush.
16. In that day will the Egyptians become like women, and tremble and
be alarmed at the swinging of the hand of Jehovah of hosts, which He
sets in motion against it. 17. And the land of Judah becomes a
shuddering for Egypt; as often as they mention this against Egypt, it
is alarmed, because of the decree of Jehovah of hosts, that He
suspendeth over it.
18. In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt
speaking the language of Canaan, and swearing to Jehovah of hosts:
'Ir ha-Heres will one be called. 19. In that day there stands an
altar consecrated to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and
an obelisk near the border of the land consecrated to Jehovah.
20. And a sign and a witness for Jehovah of hosts is this in the land
of Egypt; when they cry to Jehovah for oppressors, He will send them
a helper and champion, and deliver them. 21. And Jehovah makes
Himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians know Jehovah in
that day; and they serve Him with slain-offerings and meat-offerings,
and vow vows to Jehovah, and pay them. 22. And Jehovah smites Egypt,
smiting and healing; and if they return to Jehovah, He suffers
Himself to be entreated, and heals them. 23. In that day a road will
run from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur comes into Egypt, and Egypt to
Asshur; and Egypt worships (Jehovah) with Asshur. 24. In that day
will Israel be a third part to Egypt and Asshur, a blessing in the
midst of the earth, 25. since Jehovah of hosts blesseth them thus:
Blessed be thou, My people Egypt; and thou, Asshur, the work of My
hands; and thou Israel, Mine inheritance.
1. In the year that Tartan came to Ashdod, Sargon the king of Asshur
having sent him (and he made war against Ashdod, and captured it):
2. at that time Jehovah spake through Yesha'-yahu, the son of Amoz,
as follows, Go and loosen the smock-front from off thy loins, and
take off thy shoes from thy feet. And he did so, and went stripped
and barefooted.
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3. And Jehovah said, As my servant Yesha'-yahu goeth naked and
barefooted, a sign and a type for three years long over Egypt and
over Ethiopia, 4. so will the king of Asshur carry away the prisoners
of Egypt and the exiles of Ethiopia, children and old men, naked and
barefooted, and with their seat uncovered--a shame to Egypt.
5. They cover the table, watch the watch, eat, drink. Rise up, ye
princes! Anoint the shield! 6. For thus saith the Lord to me, Go, set
a spy; what he seeth, let him declare. 7. And he saw a procession of
cavalry, pairs of horsemen, a procession of asses, a procession of
camels; and listened sharply, as sharply as he could listen. 8. Then
he cried with a lion's voice, Upon the watch-tower, O Lord, I stand
continually by day, and upon my watch I keep my stand all the nights.
9. And, behold, there came a cavalcade of men, pairs of horsemen, and
lifted up its voice, and said, Fallen, fallen is Babylon; and all the
images of its gods He hath dashed to the ground! 10. O thou my
threshing, and child of my threshing-floor! What I have heard from
Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel, I have declared to you.
16. For thus hath the Lord spoken to me, Within a year, as the years
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of a hired labourer, it is over with all the glory of Kedar. 17. And
the remnant of the number of bows of the heroes of the Kedarenes will
be small: for Jehovah, the God of Israel, hath spoken.
1. What aileth thee, then, that thou art wholly ascended upon the
house-tops? 2. O full of tumult, thou noisy city, shouting castle,
thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor slaughtered in
battle. 3. All thy rulers departing together are fettered without
bow; all thy captured ones are fettered together, fleeing far away.
4. Therefore I say, Look away from me, that I may weep bitterly;
press me not with consolations for the destruction of the daughter of
my people! 5. For a day of noise, and of treading down, and of
confusion, cometh from the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, in the valley of
vision, breaking down walls; and a cry of woe echoes against the
mountains.
6. And Elam has taken the quiver, together with chariots with men,
horsemen; and Kir has drawn out the shield. 7. And then it comes to
pass, that thy choicest valleys are filled with chariots, and the
horsemen plant a firm foot towards the gate.
8. Then he takes away the covering of Judah, and thou lookest in that
day to the store of arms of the forest-house; 9. and ye see the
breaches of the city of David, that there are many of them; and ye
collect together the waters of the lower pool. 10. And ye number the
houses of Jerusalem, and pull down the houses, to fortify the wall.
11. And ye make a basin between the two walls for the waters of the
old pool; and ye do not look to Him who made it, neither do ye have
regard to Him who fashioned it long ago.
12. The Lord, Jehovah of hosts, calls in that day to weeping, and to
mourning, and to the pulling out of hair, and to girding with
sackcloth; 13. and behold joy and gladness, slaughtering of oxen and
killing of sheep, eating of flesh and drinking of wine, eating and
drinking, for 'to-morrow we die.' 14. And Jehovah of hosts hath
revealed in mine ears, Surely this iniquity shall not be expiated for
you until ye die, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts.
15. Thus spake the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, Go, get thee to that
steward there, to Shebna the house-mayor. 16. What hast thou here,
and whom hast thou here, that thou art hewing thyself out a sepulchre
here, hewing out his sepulchre high up, digging himself a dwelling in
rocks? 17. Behold, Jehovah hurleth thee, hurling with a man's throw,
and graspeth thee grasping. 18. Coiling, He coileth thee a coil, a
ball into a land far and wide; there shalt thou die, and thither the
chariots of thy glory, thou shame of the house of thy lord! 19. And I
thrust thee from thy post, and from thy standing-place He pulleth
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thee down.
20. And it will come to pass in that day, that I call to my servant
Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, 21. and invest him with thy coat, and I
throw thy sash firmly round him, and place thy government in his
hand; and he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and
to the house of Judah. 22. And I place the key of David upon his
shoulder: and when he opens, no man shuts; and when he shuts, no man
opens. 23. And I fasten him as a plug in a fast place, and he becomes
the seat of honour to his father's house. 24. And the whole mass of
his father's house hangs upon him, the offshoots and the side-shoots,
every small vessel, from the vessel of the basins even to every
vessel of the pitchers. 25. In that day, saith Jehovah of hosts, will
the peg that is fastened in a sure place be removed, and be cast
down, and fall; and the burden that it bore falls to the ground: for
Jehovah hath spoken.
15. And it will come to pass in that day, that Tzor will be forgotten
seventy years, equal to the days of one king; after the end of
seventy years Tzor will go, according to the song of the harlot.
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16. Take the guitar, sweep through the city, O forgotten harlot! Play
bravely, sing zealously, that thou mayest be remembered! 17. And it
will come to pass at the end of the seventy years: Jehovah will visit
Tzor, and she comes again to her hire, and commits prostitution with
all the kingdoms of the earth on the broad surface of the globe.
18. And her gain and her reward of prostitution will be holy to
Jehovah: it is not stored up nor gathered together; but her gain from
commerce will be theirs who dwell before Jehovah, to eat to satiety
and for stately clothing.
_PART IV._
10. The city of Tohu is broken to pieces; every house is shut up, so
that no man can come in. 11. There is lamentation for wine in the
fields; all rejoicing has set; the delight of the earth is banished.
12. What is left of the city is wilderness, and the gate was
shattered to ruins. 13. For so will it be within the earth, in the
midst of the nations; as at the olive-beating, as at the gleaning,
when the vintage is over.
14. They lift up the voice, and exult; for the majesty of Jehovah
they shout from the sea! 15. Therefore praise ye Jehovah in the lands
of the sun, in the islands of the sea the name of Jehovah the God of
Israel. 16. From the border of the earth we hear songs: Praise to the
Righteous One.
Then I said, Ruin to me! ruin to me! Robbers rob, and robbing, they
rob as robbers! 17. Horror, and pit, and snare are over thee, O
inhabitant of the earth! 18. And it cometh to pass, whoever fleeth
from the tidings of horror falleth into the pit; and whoever escapeth
out of the pit is caught in the snare: for the trap-doors on high are
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opened, and the firm foundations of the earth shake. 19. The earth
rending, is rent asunder; the earth bursting, is burst in pieces; the
earth shaking, tottereth. 20. The earth reeling, reeleth like a
drunken man, and swingeth like a hammock; and its burden of sin
presseth upon it; and it falleth, and riseth not again.
21. And it cometh to pass in that day, Jehovah will visit the army of
the high place in the high place, and the kings of the earth on the
earth. 22. And they are imprisoned, as one imprisons captives in the
pit, and shut up in prison; and in the course of many days they are
visited. 23. And the moon blushes, and the sun turns pale; for
Jehovah of hosts reigns royally upon mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and
before His elders in glory.
1. Jehovah, Thou art my God; I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy
name, that Thou hast wrought wonders, counsels from afar, sincerity,
truth. 2. For Thou hast turned it from a city into a heap of stones,
the steep castle into a ruin; the palace of the barbarians from being
a city, to be rebuilt no more for ever. 3. Therefore a wild people
will honour Thee, cities of violent nations fear Thee. 4. For Thou
provest Thyself a stronghold to the lowly, a stronghold to the poor
in his distress, as a shelter from the storm of rain, as a shadow
from the burning of the sun; for the blast of the terrible once was
as a storm against a wall. 5. Like the burning of the sun in a
parched land, Thou subduest the noise of the barbarians; (like) the
burning of the sun through the shadow of a cloud, the triumphal song
of the violent ones was brought low.
6. And Jehovah of hosts prepares for all nations upon this mountain a
feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things rich
in marrow, of wines on the lees thoroughly strained. 7. And He casts
away upon this mountain the veil that veiled over all peoples, and
the covering that covered over all nations. 8. He puts away death for
ever; and the Lord Jehovah wipes the tear from every face; and He
removes the shame of His people from the whole earth: for Jehovah
hath spoken it.
9. And they say in that day, Behold our God, for whom we waited to
help us: this is Jehovah, for whom we waited; let us be glad and
rejoice in His salvation. 10. For the hand of Jehovah will sink down
upon this mountain, and Moab is trodden down there where it is, as
straw is trodden down in the water of the dung-pit. 11. And he
spreadeth out his hands in the pool therein, as the swimmer spreadeth
them out to swim; but Jehovah forceth down the pride of Moab in spite
of the artifices of his hands. 12. Yes, thy steep, towering walls He
bows down, forces under, and casts earthwards into dust.
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_C.--Third Echo: Israel Brought Back,
or Raised from the Dead._--CHAP. XXVI.
1. In that day will this song be sung in the land of Judah: A city of
defence is ours; salvation He sets for walls and bulwarks. 2. Open ye
the gates, that a righteous people may enter, one keeping
truthfulness. 3. Thou keepest the firmly-established mind in peace,
peace; for his confidence rests on Thee. 4. Hang confidently on
Jehovah for ever: for in Jah, Jehovah, is an everlasting rock. 5. For
He hath bent down them that dwell on high; the towering castle, He
tore it down, tore it down to the earth, cast it into dust. 6. The
foot treads it to pieces, feet of the poor, steps of the lowly.
7. The path that the righteous takes is smoothness; Thou makest the
course of the righteous smooth.
8. We also have waited for Thee, that Thou shouldest come in the path
of Thy judgments; the desire of the soul went after Thy name, and
after Thy remembrance. 9. With my soul I desired Thee in the night;
yea, with my spirit deep within me, I longed to have Thee here: for
when Thy judgments strike the earth, the inhabitants of the earth
learn righteousness.
19. Thy dead will live, my corpses rise again. Awake and rejoice, ye
that lie in the dust! For Thy dew is as the dew of the lights, and
the earth will bring shades to the day.
20. Go in, my people, into thy chambers, and shut the door behind
thee; hide thyself a little moment, till the judgment of wrath passes
by. 21. For, behold, Jehovah goeth out of His place to visit the
iniquity of the earth upon them; and the earth discloses the blood
that it has sucked up, and no more covers her slain.
XXVII.--1. In that day will Jehovah visit with His sword, with the
hard, and the great, and the strong; leviathan the fleet serpent, and
leviathan the twisted serpent, and slay the dragon in the sea.
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_D.--The Fourth Echo: The Fruit-bearing Vineyard
under the Protection of Jehovah._--CHAP. XXVII. 2-6
2. In that day
A merry vineyard--sing it!
3. I, Jehovah, its keeper,
Every moment I water it.
That nothing may come near it,
I watch it night and day.
4. Wrath have I none;
Oh, had I thorns, thistles before Me!
I would make up to them in battle,
Burn them all together.
5. Men would then have to grasp at My protection,
Make peace with Me,
Make peace with Me.
6. In future will Jacob strike roots, Israel blossom and bud, and
fill the surface of the globe with fruits.
12. And it will come to pass on that day, Jehovah will appoint a
beating of corn from the water-flood of the Euphrates to the brook of
Egypt, and ye will be gathered one by one, O sons of Israel. 13. And
it will come to pass in that day, a great trumpet will be blown, and
the lost ones in the land of Asshur come, and the outcasts in the
land of Egypt, and cast themselves down before Jehovah on the holy
mountain in Jerusalem.
_PART V._
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fading flower of its splendid ornament, which is upon the head of the
luxuriant valley of those slain with wine.
2. Behold, the Lord holds a strong and mighty thing like a hailstorm,
a pestilent tempest; like a storm of mighty overflowing waters, He
casts down to the earth with almighty hand. 3. With feet they tread
down the proud crown of the drunken of Ephraim. 4. And it happens to
the fading flower of its splendid ornament, which is upon the head of
the luxuriant valley, as to an early fig before it is harvest, which
whosoever sees it looks at, and it is no longer in his hand than he
swallows it.
5. In that day will Jehovah of hosts be the adorning crown and the
splendid diadem to the remnant of His people; 6. and the spirit of
justice to them that sit on the judgment-seat, and heroic strength to
them that drive back war at the gate.
7. And they also reel with wine, and are giddy with meth; priest and
prophet reel with meth, reel when seeking visions, stagger when
pronouncing judgment. 8. For all tables are full of filthy vomit,
without any more place.
18. And your covenant with death is struck out, and your agreement
with Hades will not stand; the swelling scourge when it comes, ye
will become a thing trodden down to it. 19. And as often as it passes
it takes you: for every morning it passes, by day and by night; and
it is nothing but shuddering to hear such preaching. 20. For the bed
is too short to stretch in, and the covering too tight when a man
wraps himself in it.
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act; strange is His act.
23. Lend me your ear, and hear my voice; attend, and hear my address!
24. Does the husbandman plough continually to sow? to furrow and to
harrow his land? 25. Is it not so: when he levels the surface
thereof, he scatters black poppy seed, and strews cummin, and puts in
wheat in rows, and barley in the appointed piece, and spelt on its
border? 26. And He has instructed him how to act rightly: his God
teaches him.
27. For the black poppy is not threshed with a threshing sledge, nor
is a cart wheel rolled over cummin; but black poppy is knocked out
with a stick, and cummin with a staff. 28. Is bread-corn crushed? No;
he does not go on threshing for ever, and drive the wheel of his cart
and his horses over it: he does not crush it. 29. This also, it goeth
forth from Jehovah of hosts: He gives wonderful intelligence, high
understanding.
1. Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the castle where David pitched his tent!
Add year to year, let the feasts revolve: 2. then I distress Ariel,
and there is groaning and moaning; and so she proves herself to Me as
Ariel. 3. And I encamp in a circle round about thee, and surround
thee with watch-posts, and erect tortoises against thee. 4. And when
brought down thou wilt speak out of the ground, and thy speaking will
sound low out of the dust; and thy voice cometh up like that of a
demon from the ground, and thy speaking will whisper out of the dust.
5. And the multitude of thy foes will become like finely powdered
dust, and the multitude of tyrants like chaff flying away; and it
will take place suddenly, very suddenly. 6. For Jehovah of hosts
there comes a visitation with crash of thunder and earthquake and
great noise, whirlwind and tempest, and the blazing up of devouring
fire. 7. And the multitude of all the nations that gather together
against Ariel, and all those who storm and distress Ariel and her
stronghold, will be like a vision of the night in a dream. 8. And it
is just as a hungry man dreams, and behold he eats; and when he wakes
up his soul is empty: and just as a thirsty man dreams, and behold he
drinks; and when he wakes up, behold, he is faint, and his soul is
parched with thirst: so will it be to the multitude of nations which
gather together against the mountain of Zion.
They are drunken, and not with wine; they reel, and not with meth.
10. For Jehovah hath poured upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and
bound up your eyes; the prophets and your heads, the seers, He has
veiled. 11. And the revelation of all this will be to you like the
words of a sealed writing, which they give to him that understands
writing, say, Pray, read this; but he says, I cannot, it is sealed.
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12. And they give the writing to one who does not understand writing,
saying, Pray, read this; but he says, I do not understand writing.
13. The Lord hath spoken: Because this people approaches Me with its
mouth, and honours Me with its lips, and keeps its heart far from Me,
and its reverence for Me has become as a commandment learned from
men; 14. therefore, behold, I will proceed wondrously with this
people, wondrously and marvellously strange; and the wisdom of its
wise men is lost, and the understanding of its intelligent men
becomes invisible.
15. Woe unto them that hide plans deep from Jehovah, and their doing
occurs in a dark place, and they say, Who saw us then, and who know
about us? 16. Oh for your perversity! It is to be regarded as
potter's clay; that a work could say to its maker, He has not made
me; and an image to its sculptor, He does not understand it!
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8. Now go, write it on a table with them, and note it in a book, and
let it stand there for future days, for ever, to eternity.
12. Therefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel, Because ye dislike
this word, and put your trust in force and shufflings, and rely upon
this; 13. therefore will this iniquity be to like a falling breach,
bent forwards in a high-towering wall, which falls to ruin suddenly,
very suddenly. 14. And He smites it to pieces, as a potter's vessel
falls to pieces when they smash it without sparing, and of which,
when it lies smashed to pieces there, you cannot find a sherd to
fetch fire with from the hearth, or to take water with out of a
cistern.
15. For thus saith the Lord Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, Through
turning and rest ye would be helped; your strength would show itself
in quietness and confidence; but ye would not. 16. And ye said, No,
but we will fly upon horses; therefore ye shall flee: and, We will
ride upon race-horses; therefore your pursuers will race. 17. A
thousand, ye will flee from the threatening of one, from the
threatening of five, until ye are reduced to a remnant, like a pine
upon the top of the mountain, and like a banner upon the hill.
18. And therefore will Jehovah wait till He inclines towards you, and
therefore will He withdraw Himself on high till He has mercy upon
you; for Jehovah is a God of right, salvation to those who wait for
Him.
23. And He gives rain to thy seed, with which thou sowest the land;
and bread of the produce of the land, and it is full of sap and fat;
in that day your flocks will feed in roomy pastures. 24. And the oxen
and the young asses, which work the land, salted mash will they eat,
which is winnowed with the winnowing shovel and winnowing fork!
25. And upon every high mountain, and every hill that rises high,
there are springs, brooks in the day of the great massacre, when the
towers fall.
26. And the light of the moon will be as light of the sun, and the
light of the sun will be multiplied sevenfold, like the light of
seven days, in the day that Jehovah bindeth the hurt of His people,
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and healeth the crushing of His stroke.
27. Behold, the name of Jehovah cometh from far, burning His wrath,
and quantity of smoke: His lips are full of wrathful foam, and His
tongue like devouring fire. 28. And His breath is like an overflowing
brook, which reaches half-way to the neck, to sift nations in the
sieve of nothingness; and a misleading bridle comes to the cheeks of
the nations.
29. Your song will then sound as in the night, when the feast is
celebrated; and ye will have joy of heart like those who march with
the playing of flutes, to go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the
Rock of Israel.
30. And Jehovah causes His majestic voice to be heard, and causes the
lowering of His arm to be seen, with the snorting of wrath and the
blazing of devouring fire, the bursting of a cloud, and pouring of
rain and hailstones. 31. For Asshur will be terrified at the voice of
Jehovah, when He smites with the staff. 32. And it will come to pass
every stroke of the rod of destiny, which Jehovah causes to fall upon
Asshur, is dealt amid the noise of drums and the playing of guitars;
and in battles of swinging arm He fights it. 33. For a place for the
sacrifice of abominations has long been made ready, even for the king
it is prepared: deep, broad has He made it: its funeral-pile has fire
and wood in abundance; the breath of Jehovah like a stream of
brimstone sets it on fire.
1. Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, and rely upon horses,
and put their trust in chariots, that there are many of them, and in
horsemen, that there is a powerful multitude of them: and to not look
up to the Holy One of Israel, and do not inquire for Jehovah! 2. And
yet He also is wise; thus then He brings evil, and sets not His words
aside; and rises up against the house of miscreants, and against the
help of evil-doers. 3. And Egypt is man, and not God; and its horses
flesh, and not spirit. And when Jehovah stretches out His hand, the
helper stumbles, and he that is helped falls, and they all perish
together.
4. For thus hath Jehovah spoken unto me, As the lion growls and the
young lion over its prey, against which a whole crowd of shepherds is
called together; he is not alarmed at their cry, and does not
surrender at their noise; so will Jehovah of hosts descend to the
campaign against the mountain of Zion, and against their hill.
5. Like fluttering birds, so will Jehovah of hosts screen Jerusalem;
screening and delivering, sparing and setting free.
6. Then turn, O sons of Israel, to Him from whom men have so deeply
departed. 7. For in that day they will abhor every one their silver
idols and their gold idols, which your hands have made to you for a
sin. 8. And Asshur falls by a sword not of a man, and a sword not of
a man will devour him; and he flees before a sword, and his young men
become tributary. 9. And his rock, for fear it will pass away, and
his princes be frightened away by the flags: the saying of Jehovah,
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who has His fire in Zion, and His furnace in Jerusalem.
3. And the eyes of the seeing no more are closed, and the ears of the
hearing attend. 4. And the heart of the hurried understands to know,
and the tongue of stammerers speaks clear things with readiness.
15. Until the Spirit is poured out over us from on high, and the
wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is
counted as the forest. 16. And justice makes its abode in the desert,
and righteousness settles down upon the fruit-field. 17. And the
effect of righteousness will be peace, and the reward of
righteousness rest and security for ever. 18. And my people dwells in
a place of peace, and in trustworthy, safe dwellings, and in cheerful
resting-places. 19. And it hails with the overthrow of the forest,
and into lowliness must the city be brought low.
20. Blessed are ye that sow by all waters, and let the foot of the
oxen and asses rove in freedom.
1. Woe, devastator, and thyself not devastated; and thou spoiler, and
still not spoiled! Hast thou not done with devastating? thou shalt be
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devastated. Hast thou attained to rob? men rob thee.
11. Ye are pregnant with hay, ye bring forth stubble! Your snorting
is the fire that will devour you. 12. And nations become as lime
burnings, thorns cut off, which are kindled with fire.
17. Thine eyes will see the King in His beauty, will see a land that
is very far off.
18. Thy heart meditates upon the shuddering. Where is the valuer?
where is the weigher? where he who counted the towers? 19. The rough
people thou seest no more, a people of deep inaudible lip, of
stammering unintelligible tongue.
20. Look upon Zion, the castle of our festal meeting. Thine eyes will
see Jerusalem, a pleasant place, a tent that does not wander about,
whose pegs are never drawn, and none of whose cords are ever broken.
21. No, there dwells for us a glorious One, Jehovah; a place of
streams, canals of wide extent, into which no fleet of rowing vessels
ventures, and which no strong man of war shall cross. 22. For Jehovah
is our Judge; Jehovah is our war-Prince; Jehovah is our King; He will
bring us salvation.
23. Thy ropes hang loose; they do not hold fast the support of thy
mast; they do not hold the flag extended: then is the booty of
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plunder divided in abundance; even lame men share the prey. 24. And
not an inhabitant will say, I am weak: the people settled there have
their sins forgiven.
_PART VI._
FINALE OF THE JUDGMENT UPON ALL THE WORLD (MORE ESPECIALLY UPON
EDOM) AND REDEMPTION OF THE PEOPLE OF JEHOVAH.--CHAPS. XXXIV., XXXV.
XXXV.--1. Gladness fills the desert and the heath; and the steppe
rejoices, and flowers like the crocus. 2. It flowers abundantly, and
rejoices; yea, rejoicing and singing: the glory of Lebanon is given
to it, the splendour of Carmel and the plain of Sharon; they will see
the glory of Jehovah, the splendour of our God.
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3. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and make the trembling knees strong.
4. Say to those of a terrified heart, Be strong, Fear ye not! Behold,
your God will come for vengeance, for a Divine retribution: He will
come, and bring you salvation. 5. Then the eyes of the blind will be
opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6. Then will the lame man
leap as the stag, and the tongue of the dumb man shout; for waters
break out in the desert, and brooks in the steppe. 7. And the mirage
becomes a fish-pond, and the thirsty ground gushing water-springs; in
the place of jackals, where it lies, there springs up grass with
reeds and rushes.
8. And a highway rises there, and a road, and it will be called the
Holy Road; no unclean man will pass along it, as it is appointed for
them: whoever walks the road, even simple ones do not go astray.
9. There will be no lion there, and the most ravenous beast of prey
will not approach it, will not be met with there; and redeemed ones
walk. 10. And the ransomed of Jehovah will return, and come to Zion
with shouting, and everlasting joy upon their heads; they lay hold of
gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing flee away.
_PART VII._
4. And Rabshakeh said to them, Say now to Hizkiyahu, Thus saith the
great king, the king of Asshur, What sort of confidence is this that
thou hast got? 5. I say, Vain talk is counsel and strength for war:
now, then, in whom dost thou trust, that thou hast rebelled against
me? 6. Behold, thou trustest in this broken reed-staff there, in
Egypt, on which one leans, and it runs into his hand and pierces it;
so does Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him. 7. But if thou
sayest to me, We trust in Jehovah our God; is it not He whose high
places and altars Hizkiyahu has removed, and has said to Judah and
Jerusalem, Ye shall worship before the altar? 8. And not take a wager
with my lord the king of Asshur; I will deliver thee two thousand
horses, if thou art able for thy part to give horsemen upon them.
9. And how couldst thou repel the advance of a single satrap among
the least of the servants of my lord? Thou puttest thy trust then in
Egypt for chariots and riders! 10. And now have I come up without
Jehovah against this land to destroy it? Jehovah said to me, Go up to
this land, and destroy it.
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11. Then said Eliakim, and Shebna, and Joah, to Rabshakeh, Pray,
speak to thy servants in Aramæan, for we understand it; and do not
speak to us in Jewish, in the ears of the people that are on the wall.
12. Then Rabshakeh said to them, Has my lord sent me to thy lord and
to thee, not rather to the men who sit upon the wall, to eat their
dung, and to drink their urine together with you?
13. Then Rabshakeh went near, and cried with a loud voice in the
Jewish language, and said, Hear the words of the great king, the king
of Asshur. 14. Thus saith the king, Let not Hizkiyahu practise
deception upon you; for he cannot deliver you. 15. And let not
Hizkiyahu feed you with hope in Jehovah, saying, Jehovah will
deliver, yea, deliver us: this city will not be delivered into the
hand of the king of Asshur. 16. Hearken not to Hizkiyahu; for thus
saith the king of Asshur, Enter into a connection of mutual good
wishes with me, and come out to me: and enjoy every one his vine, and
every one his fig-tree, and drink every one the water of his cistern:
17. till I come and take you away into a land like your own land, a
land of corn and wine, a land of bread-corn and vineyards; 18. that
Hizkiyahu do not befool you, saying, Jehovah will deliver us. Have
the gods of the nations delivered every one his land out of the hand
of the king of Asshur? 19. Where are the gods of Hamath and Arpad?
Where the gods of Sepharvayim? and how much less have they delivered
that Samaria out of my hand? 20. Who were they among all the gods of
these lands who delivered their land out of my hand? how much less
will Jehovah deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?
21. But they held their peace, and answered him not a word; for it
was the king's commandment, Ye shall not answer him.
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_B.--Second Attempt of the Assyrians to Force the Surrender
of Jerusalem. Its Miraculous Deliverance._--CHAP. XXXVII. 8-38.
14. And Hizkiyahu took the letter out of the hand of the messengers,
and read it, and went up to the house of Jehovah; and Hizkiyahu
spread it before Jehovah. 15. And Hizkiyahu prayed to Jehovah,
saying, 16. Jehovah of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned upon the
cherubim, Thou, yea Thou alone, art God of all the kingdoms of the
earth; Thou, Thou hast made the heavens and the earth. 17. Incline
Thine ear, Jehovah, and hear! Open Thine eyes, Jehovah, and see; and
hear the words of Sennacherib, which he hath sent to despise the
living God! 18. Truly, O Jehovah, the kings of Asshur have laid waste
all lands, and their land, 19. and have put their gods into the fire:
for they were not gods, only the work of men's hands, wood and stone;
therefore they have destroyed them. 20. And now, Jehovah our God,
help us out of his hand, and all the kingdoms of the earth may know
that Thou Jehovah art it alone.
21. And Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hizkiyahu, saying, Thus saith
Jehovah the God of Israel, That which thou hast prayed to me
concerning Sennacherib the king of Asshur: 22. This is the utterance
which Jehovah utters concerning him:--The virgin daughter of Zion
despiseth thee, laugheth thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem
shaketh her head after thee. 23. Whom hast thou reviled and
blasphemed, and over whom hast thou spoken loftily, that thou hast
lifted up thine eyes on high? Against the Holy One of Israel. 24. By
thy servants hast thou reviled the Lord, in that thou sayest, "With
the multitude of my chariots have I climbed the height of the
mountains, the inner side of Lebanon; and I shall fell the lofty
growth of its cedars, the choice of its cypresses; and I shall
penetrate to the height of its uttermost border, the grove of its
orchard. 25. I, I have digged and drank waters, and will make dry
with the sole of my feet all the Nile-arms." 26. Hast thou not heard?
I have done it long ago, from the days of ancient time have I formed
it, and now brought it to pass, that thou shouldest lay waste
fortified cities into desolate stone heaps; 27. and their
inhabitants, powerless, were terrified, and were put to shame: became
herb of the field and green of the turf, herb of the house-tops, and
a cornfield before the blades. 28. And thy sitting down, and thy
going out, and thy entering in, I know; and thy heating thyself
against Me. 29. On account of thy heating thyself against Me, and
because thy self-confidence has risen up into Mine ears, I put My
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ring into thy nose, and My muzzle into thy lips, and lead thee back
by the way by which thou hast come.
30. And let this be a sign to thee, Men eat this year what is
self-sown; and in the second year what springs from the roots; and in
the third year they sow and reap and plant vineyards, and eat their
fruit. 31. And that which is escaped of the house of Judah, that
which remains will again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.
32. For from Jerusalem will a remnant go forth, and a fugitive from
Mount Zion; the zeal of Jehovah of hosts will carry this out.
36. Then the angel of Jehovah went forth and smote in the camp of
Asshur a hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when men rose up in
the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. 37. Then Sennacherib
king of Asshur decamped, and went forth and returned, and settled
down in Nineveh. 38. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in
the temple of Nisroch his god, Adrammelech and Sharazer his sons
smote him with the sword; and when they escaped to the land of
Ararat, Esar-haddon reigned in his stead.
[21. Then Isaiah said they were to bring a fig-cake; and they
plastered the boil, and he recovered. 22. And Hizkiyahu said, What
sign is there that I shall go up to the house of Jehovah?]
7. And let this be the sign to thee on the part of Jehovah, that
Jehovah will perform the word which He has spoken: 8. Behold, I will
make the shadow retrace the steps, which it has gone down upon the
sun-dial of Ahaz through the sun, ten steps backward. And the sun
went back ten steps upon the dial, which it had gone down.
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10, 11, 12:--
I said, in quiet of my days shall I depart into
the gates of Hades:
I am mulcted of the rest of my years.
I said, I shall not see Jah, Jah, in the land of
the living:
I shall behold man no more, with the inhabitants
of the regions of the dead.
My home is broken up, and is carried off from me
like a shepherd's tent:
I rolled up my life like a weaver: He would have
cut me loose from the roll:
From day to night Thou makest an end of me.
13, 14:--
I waited patiently till the morning; like the lion,
So will He break in pieces all my bones:
From day to night Thou makest it all over with me.
Like a swallow, a crane, so I chirped;
I cooed like the dove:
Mine eyes pined for the height.
O Lord, men assault me! Be bail for me.
15-17:--
What shall I say, That He promised me,
and He hath carried it out:
I should walk quietly all my years,
on the trouble of my soul?
Oh Lord, by such things men revive, and the life
of my spirit is always therein:
And so wilt Thou restore me, and make me
to live!
Behold, bitterness became salvation to me,
bitterness;
And Thou, Thou hast delivered my soul in
love out of the pit of corruption:
For Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back.
18-20:--
For Hades does not praise Thee; death does not sing
praises to Thee:
They that sink into the grave do not hope for
Thy truth.
The living, the living, he praises Thee,
as I do to-day;
The father to the children makes known Thy truth,
Jehovah is ready to give me salvation;
Therefore will we play my stringed instruments
all the days of my life
In the house of Jehovah.
571
sent writings and a present to Hizkiyahu, and heard that he had been
sick, and was restored again.
2. And Hizkiyahu rejoiced concerning them, and showed them all his
storehouses: the silver, and the gold and the spices, and the fine
oil, and all his arsenal, and all that was in his treasures: there
was nothing that Hizkiyahu had now shown them in all his house or in
all his kingdom.
3. Then came Isaiah the prophet to king Hizkiyahu, and said to him,
What have these men said, and whence came they to thee? Hizkiyahu
said, They came to me from a far country, out of Babel. 4. He said
further, What have they seen in thy house? Hizkiyahu said, All that
is in my house have they seen; there was nothing in my treasures that
I had not shown them. 5. Then Isaiah said to Hizkiyahu, Hear the word
of Jehovah of hosts; 6. Behold, days come, that all that is in thy
house, and all that thy fathers have laid up unto this day, will be
carried away to Babel: nothing will be left behind, saith Jehovah.
7. And of thy children that proceed from thee, whom thou shalt beget,
will they take; and they will be courtiers in the palace of the king
of Babel. 8. Then said Hizkiyahu to Isaiah, Good is the word of
Jehovah which thou hast spoken. And he said further, Yea, there shall
be peace and steadfastness in my days.
_PART I._
6. Hark, one speaking, Cry! And he answers, What shall I cry? All
flesh is grass, and all its beauty as the flower of the field.
7. Grass is withered, flower faded, for the breath of Jehovah has
blown upon it. Surely grass is the people; 8. grass withereth, flower
fadeth: yet the word of our God shall stand for ever.
10. Behold, the Lord Jehovah as a mighty one will He come! His arm
ruling for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His retribution
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before Him. 11. He will feed His flock like a shepherd, take the
lambs in His arm, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those
that are giving suck.
12. Who hath measured the waters with the hollow of His hand, and
regulated the heavens with a span, and taken up the dust of the earth
in a third measure, and weighed the mountains with a steelyard, and
hills with balances? 13. Who regulated the Spirit of Jehovah, and
(who) instructed Him as His counsellor? 14. With whom took He
counsel, and who would have explained to Him and instructed Him
concerning the path of right, and taught Him knowledge, and made
known to Him a prudent course?
15. Behold, nations like a little drop on a bucket, and like a grain
of sand in a balance, are they esteemed; behold, islands like an atom
of dust that rises in the air. 16. And Lebanon is not a sufficiency
of burning, nor its game a sufficiency of burnt-offerings. 17. All
the nations are as nothing before Him; they are regarded by Him as
belonging to nullity and emptiness. 18. And to whom can ye liken God,
and what king of image can ye place beside Him!
19. The idol, when the smith has cast it, the melter plates it with
gold, and melteth silver chains for it. 20. The man who is
impoverished in oblations, he chooseth a block of wood that will not
rot; he seeketh for himself a skilful smith, to prepare an idol that
will not shake.
25. And to whom will ye compare Me, to whom can I be equal? saith the
Holy One.
26. Lift[2] up your eyes on high and see; who hath created these
things? It is He who bringeth out their host by number, calleth them
all by names, because of the greatness of (His) might, and as being
strong in power: there is not one that is missing.
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FOOTNOTES:
[2] Lift up your eyes into the heavens, and behold! who hath
created these things? He bringeth out their host by number,
He calleth them all by names; by the greatness of His
might, for that He is strong in power, not one
faileth.--_Matthew Arnold._
2. Who hath raised up the man from the rising of the sun, whom
justice meets at His foot, He giveth up nations before Him, and kings
He subdues, giveth men like dust to His sword, and like driven
stubble to His bow? 3. He pursueth them, and marcheth in peace by a
course which He never trod with His foot. 4. Who hath wrought and
executed it? He who calleth the generations of men from the
beginning, I Jehovah am first, and with the last one am I HE.
5. Islands have seen it and shuddered; the ends of the earth
trembled; they have approached, and drawn near. 6. One helped his
companion, and he said to his brother, Only firm! 7. The caster puts
firmness into the melter, the hammer-smoother into the anvil-smelter,
saying of the soldering, It is good; and made him firm with nails,
that he should not shake.
14. Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and handful[3] Israel: I will help
thee, saith Jehovah; and thy Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
15. Behold, I have made thee a threshing roller, a sharp new one,
with double edges; thou wilt thresh mountains, and pound them; and
hills thou wilt make chaff. 16. Thou wilt winnow them, and wind
carries them away, and tempest scatters them; and thou wilt rejoice
in Jehovah, and glory in the Holy One of Israel.
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17. The poor and needy, who seek for water and there is none, their
tongue faints for thirst. I Jehovah will hear them, I the God of
Israel will not forsake them. 18. I open streams upon hills of the
field, and springs in the midst of valleys; I make the desert into a
pond, and dry land into fountains of water. 19. I give in the desert
cedars, acacias, and myrtles, and oleasters; I set on the steppe
cypresses, plane-trees, sherbin-trees together, 20. that they may
see, and know, and lay to heart, and understand all together, that
the hand of Jehovah hath accomplished it, and the Holy One of Israel
hath created it.
21. Bring hither your cause, saith Jehovah; bring forward your
proofs, saith the King of Jacob. 22. Let them bring forward, and make
known to us what will happen; make known the beginning, what it is,
and we will fix our heart upon it, and take knowledge of its issue;
or let us hear what is to come. 23. Make known to us what is coming
later, and we will acknowledge that ye are gods! yea, do good, and do
evil, and we will measure ourselves, and see together.
25. I have raised up from the north, and he came: from the rising of
the sun one who invokes my name; and he treads upon satraps as mud,
and like a potter kneadeth clay.
26. Who hath made it known from the beginning, we will acknowledge
it, and from former time, we will say He is in the right! Yea, there
was none that made known; yea, none that caused to hear; yea, none
that heard your words. 27. As at the first I said to Zion,[4] Behold,
behold, there it is; and I bestow evangelists upon Jerusalem. 28. And
I looked, and there was no man; and of these there was no one
answering whom I could ask, and who would give me an answer. 29. See
them all, vanity; nothingness are their productions, wind and
desolation their molten images.
FOOTNOTES:
575
right.[1] 4. He will not become faint or broken till He establish
right upon earth, and the islands wait for His instruction.
5. Thus saith God, Jehovah, Who created the heavens and stretched
them out; Who spread the earth, and its productions; Who gave the
spirit of life to the people upon it, and the breath of life to them
that walk upon it: 6. I, Jehovah, I have called Thee in
righteousness, and grasped Thy hand; and I keep Thee, and make Thee
the covenant of the people, the light of the Gentiles, 7. to open
blind eyes, to bring out prisoners out of the prison, them that sit
in darkness out of the prison-house.
10. Sing ye to Jehovah a new song, His praise from the end of the
earth, ye navigators of the sea, and its fulness; ye islands and
their inhabitants. 11. Let the desert and the cities thereof strike
up, the villages the Kedar doth inhabit; the inhabitants of the
rock-city may rejoice, about from the summits of the mountains.
12. Let them give glory to Jehovah, and proclaim His praise in the
islands. 13. Jehovah, like a hero will He go forth, kindle jealousy
like a man of war; He will break forth into a war-cry, a yelling
war-cry, prove Himself a hero upon His enemies.
14. I have been silent eternally long, over still, restrained myself;
like[2] a travailing woman, I now breathe again, snort and snuff
together. 15. I will make waste mountains and hills, and all their
herbage I dry up, and change streams into islands, and lakes I dry
up. 16. And I lead the blind by a way that they know not; by steps
that they know not, I make them walk; I turn dark space before them
into light, and rugged places into a plain. These are the things that
I carry out, and do not leave.
17. They fall back, are put deeply to shame, that trust in molten
images, that say to the molten image, Thou art our god.
23. Who among you will give ear to this, attend, and hear afar off?
24. Who has given up Jacob to plundering, and Israel to the spoilers?
Is it not Jehovah, against whom we have sinned? and they would not
walk in His way, and hearkened not to His law. 25. Then He poured
upon it in burning heat His wrath, and the strength of the fury of
war: and this set it in flames round about, and it did not come to be
576
recognised; it set on fire, and it did not lay it to heart.
FOOTNOTES:
[2] Now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will desolate and
swallow up at once.--_Kay._
XLIII.--1. But now thus saith Jehovah thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy
Former, O Israel! Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called
thee by thy name, thou art Mine. 2. When thou goest through the
water, I am with thee; and through rivers, they shall not drown thee:
when thou goest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; and the
flame shall not set thee on fire. 3. For I Jehovah am thy God; (I)
the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I give up Egypt as a ransom for
thee, Ethiopia and Seba in thy stead. 4. Because thou art dear in my
eyes, highly esteemed, and I loved thee; I give up men in thy stead,
and peoples for thy life.
5. Fear not, for I am with thee: I bring thy seed from the east, and
from the west will I gather thee; 6. I will say to the north, Give
up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring My sons from far, and My
daughters from the end of the earth; 7. everything that is called by
My name, and I have created for My glory, that I have formed, yea
finished!
8. Bring out a blind people, and it has eyes: and deaf people, and
yet furnished with ears! 9. All ye hearken, gather yourselves
together, and let peoples assemble! Who among you can proclaim such a
thing? And let them cause former things to be heard, appoint their
witnesses, and be justified. Let these hear, and say, True! 10. Ye
are My witnesses, saith Jehovah, and My servant whom I have chosen;
that ye may know and believe Me, and see that it is I: before Me was
no God formed, and there will be none after Me.
14. Thus saith Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, For
your sake I have sent to Babel, and will hurl them all down as
fugitives, and the Chaldeans into the ships of their rejoicing.
15. I, Jehovah, am your Holy One; (I), Israel's Creator, your King.
16. Thus saith Jehovah, who giveth a road through the sea, and a path
through tumultuous waters; 17. who bringeth out chariot and horse,
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army[2] and hero; they lie down together, they never rise: they have
flickered away, extinguished like a wick. 18. Remember not things of
olden time, nor meditate upon those of earlier times! 19. Behold, I
work out a new thing; will ye not live to see it? Yea, I make a road
through the desert, and streams through solitudies. 20. The beast of
the field will praise Me, wild dogs and ostriches; for I give water
in the desert, streams in solitude, to give drink to My people, My
chosen. 21. The people that I formed for Myself, they shall show
forth My praise.
22.[3] And thou hast not called upon Me, O Jacob, that thou shouldest
have wearied thyself for Me, O Israel! 23. Thou hast not brought Me
sheep of My burnt-offerings, and thou hast not honoured Me with thy
slain-offerings. I have not burdened thee with meat-offerings, and
have not troubled thee about incense. 24. Thou hast brought Me no
spice-cane for silver, nor hast thou refreshed Me with the fat of thy
slain-offerings. No; thou hast wearied Me with thy sins, troubled Me
with thine iniquities. 25. I, I alone, blot out thy transgressions
for My own sake, and do not remember thy sins.
FOOTNOTES:
[3] 22-24. Yet on Me hast thou not called: but thou hast toiled
in respect of Me. Thou broughtest not for _Me_ the lamb of
thy burnt-offerings; with thy sacrifices thou didst not
glorify Me; I caused thee no labour in meat-offering,
neither made thee to toil in respect of incense. Thou
broughtest not sweet cane with money for _Me;_ and with the
fat of thy sacrifices thou didst not refresh _Me._ Verily,
thou hast caused Me to labour by thy sins; thou hast made
Me to toil by thine iniquities.--_Kay._
XLIV.--1. And now hear, O Jacob, My servant, and Israel whom I have
chosen. 2. Thus saith Jehovah, thy Creator, and thy Former from the
womb, who cometh to thy help: Fear not, My servant Jacob, and
Jeshurun, whom I have chosen! 3. For I will pour water on thirsty
ones, and brooks upon the dry ground; will pour My Spirit upon thy
seed, and My blessing upon thine after-growth; 4. and they shoot up
among the grass, as willows by flowing waters. 5. One will say, I
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belong to Jehovah; and a second will solemnly name the name of Jacob;
and a third[1] will inscribe himself to Jehovah, and name the name of
Israel with honour.
6. Thus saith Jehovah the King of Israel, and its Redeemer, Jehovah
of hosts; I am first, and I last; and beside Me there is no God.
7.[2] And who preaches as I do? Let him make it known, and show it to
Me; since I founded the people of ancient time! And future things,
and what is approaching, let them only make known. 8. Despair ye not,
neither tremble: have I not told thee long ago, and made it known,
and ye are My witnesses: is there a God beside Me? And nowhere a
Rock; I know of none.
9. The makers of idols, they are all desolation, and their bosom
children worthless; and those who bear witness for them see nothing
and know nothing, that they may be put to shame. 10. Who hath formed
the god, and cast the idol to no profit? 11. Behold, all its
followers will be put to shame; and the workmen are men; let them all
assemble together, draw near, be alarmed, be all put to shame
together.
12. The iron-smith[3] has a chisel, and works with red-hot coals, and
shapes it with hammers, and works it with his powerful arm. He gets
hungry thereby, and his strength fails; if he drink no water he
becomes exhausted. 13. The carpenter draws the line, marks it with
the pencil, carries it out with planes, and makes a drawing of it
with the compass, and carries it out like the figure of a man, like
the beauty of a man, which may dwell in the house.
14. One[4] prepares to cut down cedars, and takes holm and oak-tree,
and chooses for himself among the trees of the forest. He planteth a
fig, and the rain draws it up. 15. And it serves the man for firing;
he takes thereof, and warms himself; he also heats, and bakes bread;
he also works it into a god, and prostrates himself; makes an idol of
it, and falls down before it. 16. The half of it he has burned in the
fire! over the half of it he eats flesh, roasts a roast, and is
satisfied; he also warms himself, and says, Hurrah! I am getting
warm, I feel the heat. 17. And the rest of it he makes into a god,
into his idol, and says, Save me, for thou art my god!
18. They perceive not, and do not understand: for their eyes are
smeared over, so that they do not see; their hearts that they do not
understand. 19. And men take it not to heart, no perception and no
understanding, that men should say, The half of it I have burned in
the fire, and also baked bread upon the coals thereof; roasted flesh,
and eaten: and ought I to make the rest of it into an abomination, to
fall down before the produce of a tree? 20. He who striveth after
ashes, a befooled heart has led him astray, and he does not deliver
his soul, and does not think, Is there not a lie in my right hand?
21. Remember this, Jacob and Israel; for thou art My servant: I have
579
formed thee, thou art servant to Me, O Israel: thou art not forgotten
by Me. 22.[5] I have blotted out thy transgressions as a mist, and
thy sins as clouds: return to Me; for I have redeemed thee.
24. Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, and He that formed thee from
the womb, I Jehovah am He that accomplisheth all; who stretched out
the heavens alone, spread out the earth by Himself; 25. who bringeth
to nought the signs of the prophets of lies, and exposeth the
soothsayers as raging mad; who turneth back the wise men, and maketh
their science folly; 26. who realiseth the word of His servant, and
accomplisheth the prediction of His messengers; who saith to
Jerusalem, She shall be inhabited, and their ruins I raise up again!
27. who saith to the whirlpool, Dry up; and I dry its streams;
28. who saith to Koresh, My shepherd, and he will perform all my
will; and will say to Jerusalem, She shall be built, and the temple
founded!
FOOTNOTES:
And who, as I, hath foretold (let him declare it, and set
it in order for me!) since I appointed the ancient people?
and the things that are coming, and that shall come, let
them show!--_Matthew Arnold._
[4] 14. He must cut down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the
oak, and he encourageth himself in the trees of the
forest.--_Kay._
580
XLV.--1. Thus saith Jehovah to His anointed, to Koresh, whom I have
taken by his right hand to subdue nations before him, and the loins
of kings I ungird, to open before him doors and gates, that they may
not continue shut. 2. I shall go before thee, and level what is
heaped up: gates of brass shall I break to pieces, and bolts of iron
shall I smite to the ground. 3. And I shall give thee treasures of
darkness, and jewels of hidden places, that thou mayest know that I
Jehovah am He who called out thy name, (even) the God of Israel.
8. Cause to trickle down, ye heavens above, and let the blue sky rain
down righteousness; let the earth open, and let salvation blossom,
and righteousness; let them sprout together, I Jehovah have created
it.
9. Woe to him that quarreleth with his Maker--a pot among the pots of
earthenware! Can the clay indeed say to him that shapeth it, What
makest thou? and thy work, He hath no hands? 10. Woe to him that
saith to his father, What begettest thou? and to the woman, What
bringest thou forth?
11. Thus saith Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and its Maker, Ask Me
what is to come; let My sons and the work of My hands be committed to
Me! 12. I, I have made the earth, and created men upon it; I, My
hands have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I
called forth. 13. I, I have raised him up in righteousness, and all
his ways shall I make smooth: he will build My city, and release My
banished ones, not for price nor for reward, saith Jehovah of hosts.
15. Verily Thou art a mysterious God, Thou God of Israel, Thou
Saviour.
16. They are put to shame, and also confounded, all of them; they go
away into confusion together, the forgers of idols. 17. Israel is
redeemed by Jehovah with everlasting redemption; ye are not put to
shame nor confounded to everlasting eternities.
18. For thus saith Jehovah, the Creator of the heavens (He is the
Deity), the Former of the earth, and its Finisher; He has established
it, He has not created it a desert, He has formed it to be inhabited;
I am Jehovah, and there is none else. 19. I have not spoken in
secret, in a place of the land of darkness; I did not say to the seed
581
of Jacob, Into the desert seek ye me! I Jehovah am speaking
righteousness, proclaiming upright things.
22. Turn unto Me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth; for I am
God, and none else. 23. By Myself have I sworn, a word has gone out
of My mouth of righteousness, and will not return, That to Me every
knee shall bend, every tongue swear. 24.[1] Only in Jehovah, do men
say of Me, in fulness of Righteousness and strength; they come to
Him, and all that were incensed against Him are put to shame. 25. In
Jehovah all the seed of Israel shall become righteous, and shall
glory.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] 24. Only in the Lord (saith one unto Me) is righteousness and
strength; even to Him shall one come; and all that were incensed
against Him shall be ashamed.--_Kay._
1. Bel sinketh down. Nebo stoopeth; the images come to the beast of
burden and draught cattle: your[1] litters are laden, a burden for
the panting. 2. They stooped, sank down all at once, and could not
get rid of the burden; and their own self went into captivity.
3. Hearken unto Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the
house of Israel: ye, lifted up from the womb; ye, carried from the
mother's lap. 4. And till old age it is I, and to grey heir I shall
bear you on My shoulder; I have done it, and I shall carry; and I put
upon My shoulder, and deliver. 5. To whom can ye compare Me, and
liken, and place side by side, that we should be equal?
6. They who pour gold out of the bag, and weigh silver with the
balance, hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, that they may bow
down, yes, throw themselves down. 7. They lift it up, carry it away
on their shoulder, and set it down in its place! there it is; from
its place it does not move; men also cry to it, but it does not
answer; it saves no man out of distress.
582
I carry out, 11. calling[2] a bird of prey from the east, the man of
My counsel from a distant land: not only have I spoken, I also bring
it; I have purposed it, I will also execute it.
FOOTNOTES:
8. And now hear this, thou voluptuous one, she who sitteth so
securely, who sayeth in her heart, I am it, and none else; I shall
not sit a widow, nor experience bereavement of children. 9. And these
two come upon thee suddenly in one day: bereavement of children and
widowhood; they come upon thee in fullest measure, in spite of the
multitude of thy sorceries, in spite of the great abundance of thy
witchcrafts. 10. Thou trustedst in thy wickedness, and saidst, No one
seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, they led thee astray; so that
thou saidst in thy heart, I am it, and none else. 11. And misfortune
cometh upon thee, which[3] thou understandest not how to charm away:
and destruction will fall upon thee, which thou canst not atone for;
for there will come suddenly upon thee ruin which thou suspectest not.
12. Come near, then, with thy enchantments, and with the multitude of
thy witchcrafts, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth: perhaps
583
thou canst profit, perhaps thou canst inspire terror. 13. Thou art
wearied through the multitude of thy consultations;[4] let the
dissectors of the heavens come near, then, and save thee, the
star-gazers, they who with every new moon bring things to light that
will come upon thee. 14. Behold, they have become like stubble: fire
has consumed them; there is not a red-hot coal to warm themselves, a
hearth-fire to sit before. 15. So[5] it is with thy people, for whom
thou hast laboured: thy partners in trade from thy youth, they wander
away every one in his own direction; no one who brings salvation to
thee.
FOOTNOTES:
[4] Let them stand now and save thee,--they that have portioned
out the heavens, those star-gazers, prognosticating at each
new moon,--from the things that shall come upon
thee.--_Kay._
[5] Of such worth unto thee are the things wherein thou hast
toiled: they that trafficked with thee from thy youth have
wandered every one to his own quarter; there is none to
save thee.--_Kay._
584
3. The first I long ago proclaimed, and it has gone forth out of My
mouth, and I caused it to be heard. I carried it out suddenly, and it
came to pass. 4. Because I knew that thou art hard, and thy neck an
iron clasp, and thy brow brass; 5. I proclaimed it to thee long ago;
before it came to pass I caused thee to hear it, that thou mightest
not say, My idol has done it, and my graven image and molten image
commanded it. 6. Thou hast heard it, look then at it all; and ye,
must ye not confess it? I give thee new things to hear from this time
forth, and hidden things, and what thou didst not know. 7. It is
created now, and not long ago; and thou hast not heard it before;
that thou mightest not say, Behold, I knew it. 8. Thou hast neither
heard it, nor known it, nor did thine ear open itself to it long ago;
for I knew thou art altogether faithless, and thou art called
rebellious from the womb. 9. For My name's sake I lengthen out My
wrath, and for My praise I hold back towards thee, that I may not cut
thee off. 10. Behold, I have refined thee, and not in the manner of
silver; I have proved thee in the furnace of affliction. 11. For Mine
own sake, for Mine own sake I accomplish it (for how[1] it is
profaned!) and My glory I give not to another.
17. Thus saith Jehovah, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; I,
Jehovah thy God, am He that teacheth thee to do that which profiteth,
and leadest thee by the way that thou shouldest go. 18. Oh[2] that
thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! then thy peace becomes like
the river, and thy righteousness like waves of the sea; 19. and thy
seed like the sand, and the children of thy body like the grains
thereof; its name will not be cut off nor destroyed away from My
countenance.
FOOTNOTES:
585
thereof; his name should not be cut off, &c.--_Kay._
_PART II._
5. And now, saith Jehovah, that formed Me from the womb to be His
servant, to bring back Jacob to Him, and that Israel[2] may be
gathered together to Him; and I am honoured in the eyes of Jehovah,
and My God has become My strength. 6. He saith, It is only a small
thing that Thou becomest My servant, to set up the tribes of Jacob,
and to bring back the preserved of Israel: I have set Thee for the
light of the Gentiles, to become My salvation to the end of the earth.
7. Thus saith Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, His Holy One, to him
of contemptible soul, to the abhorrence of the people, to the servant
of tyrants: Kings shall see and arise; princes, and prostrate
themselves for the sake of Jehovah, who is faithful, the Holy One of
Israel, that He hath chosen Thee. 8. Thus saith Jehovah, In[3] a time
of favour I have heard Thee, and in the day of salvation have I
helped Thee: and I form Thee, and set Thee for a covenant of the
people, to raise up the land, to apportion again desolate
inheritances, 9. saying to prisoners: Go ye out; to those who are in
darkness, Come ye to the light.
They shall feed by the ways, and[4] there is pasture for them upon
all field-hills. 10. They shall not hunger nor thirst, and the mirage
and sun shall not blind them: for He that hath mercy on them shall
lead them, and guide them by bubbling water-springs. 11. And I make
all My mountains ways, and My roads are exalted. 12. Behold these,
they come from afar; and behold these from the north and from the
sea; and these from the land of the Sinese. 13. Sing, O heavens, and
shout, O earth; and break out into singing, ye mountains! for Jehovah
hath comforted His people, and He hath compassion upon His afflicted
ones.
14. Zion said, Jehovah hath forsaken me, and the Lord hath forgotten
me. 15. Does a woman forget her sucking child, so as not to have
compassion upon the child of her womb? Even though mothers should
forget, I will not forget thee. 16. Behold, I have graven thee upon
the palms of My hands; thy walls stand continually before Me.
586
17. Thy children make haste, thy destroyers and masters draw out from
thee. 18. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see; all these assemble
themselves together, and come to thee. As truly as I live, saith
Jehovah, thou wilt put them all on like jewellery, and gird them
about thee like a bride. 19. For thy ruins and thy waste places and
thy land full of ruin,--yea, now thou wilt be too narrow for the
inhabitants, and thy devourers are far away. 20. Thy[5] children,
that were formerly taken from thee, shall say in thine ears, The
space is too narrow for me; give way for me, that I may have room.
21. And thou wilt say in thy heart, Who hath borne me these, seeing I
am robbed of children, and barren, banished, and thrust away; and
these, who hath brought them up? Behold, I was left alone; these,
where were they?
24. Can the booty indeed be wrested from a giant, or will the
captive[6] host of the righteous escape? 25. Yea, thus saith Jehovah,
Even the captive hosts of a giant are wrested from him, and the booty
of a tyrant escapes! and I[7] will make war upon him that warreth
with thee, and I will bring salvation to thy children. 26. And[8] I
feed them that pain thee with their own flesh; and they shall be
drunken with their own blood, as if with new wine; all flesh shall
see that I Jehovah am thy Saviour, and that thy Redeemer is the
Mighty One of Jacob.
FOOTNOTES:
[7] For I Myself will contend with him that contendeth with
thee.--_Kay._
587
[8] And I will let them that oppress thee eat their own
flesh.--_Kay._
SECOND PROPHECY.--CHAP. L.
2. Why did I come, and there was no one there? Why did I call, and
there was no one who answered? Is My hand too short to redeem? Or is
there no strength in Me to deliver? Behold, through My threatening I
dry up the sea; turn streams into a plain: their fish rot because
there is no water, and die for thirst. 3. I clothe the heavens in
mourning, and make sackcloth their covering.
10. Who among you is fearing Jehovah, hearkening to the voice of His
servant? He that walketh in darkness, and without a ray of light, let
him trust in the name of Jehovah, and stay himself upon his God.
11. Behold,[2] all ye that kindle fire, that equip yourself with
burning darts: away into the glow of your own fire, and into the
burning darts that ye have kindled! This comes to you from My hand;
ye shall lie down in sorrow.
FOOTNOTES:
588
ye have kindled.--_Kay._
589
people.
17. Wake thyself up, stand up, O Jerusalem; thou that hast drunk out
of the hand of Jehovah the goblet of His fury; the goblet-cup of
reeling hast thou drunk, sipped out. 18. There was none who guided
her of all the children she had brought forth; and none who took her
by the hand of all the children she had brought up. 19. There were
two things that happened to thee; who should console thee?[4]
Desolation, and ruin, and famine, and the sword: how should I comfort
thee? 20. Thy children were benighted, lay at the corners of all the
streets like a snared antelope: as those who were full of the fury of
Jehovah, the rebuke of thy God. 21. Therefore hearken to this, O
wretched and drunken, but not with wine: 22. Thus saith thy Lord,
Jehovah, and thy God that defendeth His people, Behold, I take out of
thy hand the goblet-cup of My fury: thou shalt not continue to drink
it any more. 23. And I put it into the hand of thy tormentors; who
said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over; and thou madest thy
back like the ground, and like a public way for those who go over it.
FOOTNOTES:
[3] He that was bent down hath made haste to be loosed, and he
shall not die in the pit, neither shall his bread
fail.--_Kay._
3. For thus saith Jehovah, Ye have been sold for nothing, and ye
shall not be redeemed with silver. 4. For thus saith the Lord
Jehovah, My people went down to Egypt in the beginning to dwell there
as guests; and Asshur has oppressed it for nothing. 5. And now, what
have I to do here? saith Jehovah; for My people are taken away for
nothing; their oppressors shriek, saith Jehovah, and My name is
continually blasphemed all the day. 6. Therefore My people shall
learn My name; therefore, in that day, that I am He who saith, Here
am I.
7. How lovely[2] upon the mountains are the feet of them that bring
590
good tidings, that publish peace, that bring tidings of good, that
publish salvation, that say unto Zion, Thy God reigneth royally!
8. Hark, thy watchers! They lift up the voice together; they rejoice:
for they see eye to eye, how[3] Jehovah bringeth Zion home. 9. Break
out into exultation, sing together, ye ruins of Jerusalem: for
Jehovah hath comforted His people, He hath redeemed Jerusalem.
10. Jehovah hath made bare His holy arm before the eyes of all
nations, and all the ends of the earth see the salvation of our God.
FOOTNOTES:
13. Behold, My Servant shall act wisely; He will come forth and
arise, and be very high. 14. Just as many were astonished at Thee: so
disfigured, His appearance was not human, and form not like that of
the children of men: 15. so will He make many nations to tremble:
kings will shut their mouths at Him! for[4] they see what has not
been told them, and discover what they have not heard.
LIII.--1. Who hath believed our preaching; and the arm of Jehovah,
over whom has it been revealed?
4. Verily He hath borne our diseases and our pains! He hath laden
them upon Himself; but we regarded Him as one stricken, smitten of
God, and afflicted. 5. Whereas He was pierced for our sins, bruised
for our iniquities! the punishment was laid on Him for our peace; and
through His stripes we were healed. 6. All we like sheep went astray;
we had turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah caused the
iniquity of us all to fall on Him.
591
not His mouth, like the sheep that is led to the slaughter-bench, and
like a lamb that is dumb before its shearers, and opened not His
mouth. 8. He[2] has been taken away from prison and judgment; and of
His generation who considered: "He was snatched away out of the land
of the living; for the wickedness of my people punishment fell on
Him"? 9. And they assigned Him His grave with sinners, and with a
rich man in His martyrdom, because He had done no wrong, and there
was no deceit in His mouth.
FOOTNOTES:
[4] For they to whom it had not been told shall see, and they
which had not heard shall consider.--_Birks._
[2] Through oppression and judgment was He taken away, and His
life who will consider!--_Kay._
1. Exult, O barren one, thou that didst not bear; break forth into
exulting, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child; for
there are more children of the solitary one than children of the
married wife, saith Jehovah. 2. Enlarge the space of thy tent, and
let them stretch out the curtains of thy habitations; forbid not!
lengthen thy cords, and fasten thy plugs. 3. For thou wilt break
forth on the right and on the left; and thy seed will take possession
of nations, and they will people desolate cities.
4. Fear not, for thou wilt not be put to shame; and bid defiance to
reproach, for thou wilt not blush: no, thou wilt not blush: no, thou
wilt forget the shame of thy youth, and wilt no more remember the
reproach of thy widowhood. 5. For thy husband is thy Creator; Jehovah
of hosts is His name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; God of
the whole earth is He called. 6. For Jehovah calleth thee as a wife
forsaken and burdened with sorrow, and as a wife of youth,[1] when
once she is despised, saith thy God.
592
7. For a small moment have I forsaken thee, and with great mercy will
I gather thee. 8. In an effusion of anger I hid my face from thee for
a moment, and with everlasting grace I have compassion upon thee,
saith Jehovah thy Redeemer. 9. For it is now as at the waters of
Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah should not overflow the
earth any more; so have I sworn not to be wroth with thee, and not to
threaten thee. 10. For the mountains may depart, and the hills may
shake; my grace will not depart from thee, and my covenant of peace
will not shake, saith Jehovah who hath compassion on thee. 11. O thou
afflicted, tossed with tempest, not comforted, behold I lay the stone
in stibium,[2] [_i.e.,_ antimony], and lay thy foundations with
sapphires; 12. and make thy minarets of ruby, and thy gates into
carbuncles, and all thy boundary into jewels.
13. And all thy children will be the learned of Jehovah; and great
the peace of thy children. 14. Through righteousness wilt thou be
fortified: be far from anxiety, for thou hast nothing to fear; and
from terror, for it will not come near thee. 15. Behold, men crowd
together in crowds; My will is not there. Who crowd together against
thee?--he shall fall by thee.
16.[3] Behold, I have created the smith who bloweth the coal-fire,
and brings to the light a weapon according to his trade; and I[4]
have created the destroyer to destroy. 17. Every weapon formed
against thee has no success, and every tongue that cometh before the
judgment with thee thou wilt condemn. This is the inheritance of the
servants of Jehovah; and their righteousness from Me, saith Jehovah.
FOOTNOTES:
593
_Come and Take the Sure Salvation of Jehovah._
1. Alas, all ye thirsty ones, come ye to the water; and ye that have
no silver, come ye, buy and eat! Yea, come, buy wine and milk without
money and without payment! 2. Wherefore do ye weigh silver for that
which is not bread, and the result of your labour for that which
satisfieth not? Oh, hearken ye to Me, and eat the good, and let your
soul delight itself in fat.
3. Incline your ear, and come to Me! hear, and let your soul revive;
and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, the true mercies of
David. 4. Behold, I have set him as a witness[1] for nations, a
prince and commander of nations. 5. Behold, thou wilt call a mass of
people that thou knowest not; and a mass of people that knoweth thee
not will hasten to thee, for the sake of Jehovah thy God, and for the
Holy One of Israel that He hath made thee glorious.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] A lawgiver.--_Arnold._
[3] Nettle.--_Cheyne._
594
layeth fast hold thereon; who keepeth the Sabbath, that he doth not
desecrate it, and keepeth his hand from doing any kind of evil.
3. And let not the foreigner, who hath joined himself to Jehovah,
speak thus: Assuredly Jehovah will cut me off from His people; and
let not the eunuch say, I am only a dry tree. 4. For thus saith
Jehovah to the eunuchs, Those who keep My Sabbaths, and decide for
that in which I take pleasure, and take fast hold of My covenant,
5. I give to them in My house and within My walls a memorial[1] and a
name better than sons and daughters; I give such a man an everlasting
name, that shall not be cut off. 6. And the foreigners, who have
joined themselves to Jehovah, to serve Him, and to love the name of
Jehovah, to be His servants, whoever keepeth the Sabbath from
desecrating it, and those who hold fast to My covenant; 7. I bring
them to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer;
their whole-offerings and their slain-offerings are well-pleasing
upon Mine altar; for My house, a house of prayer shall it be called
for all nations. 8. Word of the Lord, Jehovah: gathering the outcasts
of Israel, I will also gather beyond itself to its gathered ones.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] "Trophy."--_Cheyne._
"Place."--_Arnold, Birks, Strachey._
12. Come here, I will fetch wine, and let us drink meth; and
to-morrow shall be like to-day, great, excessively abundant.
3. And ye, draw near hither, children of the sorceress, seed of the
adulterer, and of her that committed whoredom! 4. Over whom do ye
make yourselves merry? Over whom do ye open the mouth wide, and put
the tongue out long? Are ye not the brood of apostasy, seed of lying?
5. Ye that inflame yourselves by the terabinths, under every green
tree, ye slayers of children in the valleys, under the clefts of the
rocks. 6. By the smooth ones of the brook was thy portion; they, they
were thy lot: thou also pourest out libations to them, thou laidst
595
meat-offerings upon them. Shall I be contented with this?[4] 7. Upon
a lofty and high mountain hast thou set up thy bed; thou also
ascendest thither to offer slain offerings. 8. And behind the door
and the post thou didst place thy[5] reminder: for thou uncoveredst
away from me, and ascendest; thou madest thy bed broad, and didst
stipulate for thyself what they had to do: thou lovedst their lying
with thee; thou sawest their manhood.[6]
9. And thou wentest to the king with oil, and didst measure copiously
thy spices, and didst send thy messengers to a great distance, and
didst deeply abase thyself, even to Hades. 10. Thou didst become wary
of the greatness of thy way; yet thou saidst not, It is
unattainable:[7] thou obtainedst the reward of thy strength:
therefore thou wast not pained.[8]
11. And of whom hast thou been afraid, and (whom) didst thou fear,
that thou becamest a liar, and didst not continue mindful of Me, and
didst not take it to heart?
Am I not silent, and that for a long time, whereas thou wast not
afraid of Me? 12. I, I will proclaim thy righteousness; and thy
works, they will not profit thee. 13. When thou criest, let thy heaps
of idols[9] save thee: but a wind carries them all away; a breath
takes them off; and whoever putteth trust in Me will inherit the
land, and take possession of My holy mountain.
14. And He saith, Heap up, heap up, prepare a way, take away every
obstruction from the way of My people. 15. For thus saith the High
and Lofty One, the eternally dwelling One, He whose name is Holy One;
I dwell on high and in the holy place, and with the contrite one and
him that is of a humbled spirit, to revive the spirit of humbled
ones, and to revive the heart of contrite ones. 16. For I do not
contend for ever, and I am not angry for ever: for the spirit would
pine away before me, and the souls of men which I have created.
17. And because of the iniquity of its selfishness,[10] I was wroth,
and smote it; hiding Myself away in the way of its own heart. 18. I
have seen its ways and will heal it; and will lead it, and afford
consolations to it, and to its mourning ones.
19. Creating fruit of the lips; Jehovah saith, "Peace, peace to those
that are far off, and to those that are near; and I heal it." 20. But
the wicked are like the sea that is cast up; for it cannot rest; and
its waters cast out slime and mud. 21. There is no peace, saith my
God, for the wicked.
FOOTNOTES:
596
[4] "Shall I for all these things relent?"--_Kay._ "Shall I by
these things be appeased?"--_Birks._ "Comforted."--_Jones,
Arnold._ "Should I quiet myself in spite of these
things?"--_Cheyne._
[8] "Thou hast yet found strength in thine hand, therefore thou
wast not discouraged."--_Arnold._ "Thou didst get renewal
of thy strength, therefore thou feltest not
weak."--_Cheyne._
[10] "For his unjust gain," lit. "for the iniquity of his
gain."--_Cheyne._
_PART III._
1. Cry with full throat, hold not back; lift up thy voice like a
bugle, and proclaim to My people their apostasy, and to the house of
Jacob their sins. 2. And they seek Me[1] day by day, and desire to
learn My ways, like a nation which has done righteousness; they
desire the drawing near of Elohim.
3. Wherefore do we fast and Thou seest not, afflict our soul and Thou
regardest not? Behold, on the day of your fasting ye carry on your
business, and ye oppress all your labourers. 4. Behold, ye fast with
strife and quarrelling, and with smiting of the fist maliciously
closed: ye do not fast now to make your voice audible on high.[2]
5. Can such things as these pass for a fast that I have pleasure in,
as a day for a man to afflict his soul? To bow down his head like a
bulrush, and spread sackcloth and ashes under him--dost thou call
this a fast and an acceptable day for Jehovah? 6. Is not this a fast
that I have pleasure in: to loose coils of wickedness, to untie the
bands[3] of the yoke, and for sending away the oppressed as free, and
that ye break every kind of yoke? 7. Is it not this, to break thy
bread to the hungry, and to take the poor and houseless to thy
home;[4] when thou seest a naked man that thou clothest him, and dost
not deny thyself before thine own flesh?
8. Then will thy light break forth as the morning dawn, and thy
healing will sprout up speedily, and thy righteousness will go before
thee, the glory of Jehovah will follow thee. 9. Then will thou call,
and Jehovah will answer; then wilt beseech, and He will say, Here am
597
I.
If thou put away from the midst of thee the yoke, the pointing of the
finger, and speaking of evil, 10. and offerest up thy gluttony to the
hungry;[5] and satisfiest the soul that is bowed down: thy light will
stream out in the darkness, and thy darkness become like the
brightness of noon-day. 11. And Jehovah will guide thee continually,
and satisfy thy soul in droughts, and refresh thy bones; and thou
wilt become like a well-watered garden, and like a fountain, whose
waters never deceive.[6] 12. And thy people[7] will build ruins of
the olden time, foundations of earlier generations wilt thou erect;
and men will call thee Repairer of breaches, Restorer of habitable
streets.
13. If thou hold back thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy
business on my holy day, and callest the Sabbath a delight, the holy
of Jehovah, reverend, and honourest it, not doing thine own ways, not
pursuing thy business and speaking words:[8] 14. then wilt thou have
delight in Jehovah, and I will cause thee to ride upon the high
places of the land, and make thee enjoy the inheritance of Jacob thy
forefather, for the mouth of Jehovah hath spoken it.
FOOTNOTES:
[8] "So as not to do after thy word, nor pursue thy business,
nor speak words."--_Cheyne._ "Nor using idle
talk."--_Jones, Birks._
1. Behold, Jehovah's hand is not too short to help, nor His ear too
heavy to hear; 2. but your iniquities have become a party-wall
between you and your God and your sins have hidden His face from you,
598
so that He does not hear. 3. For your hands are defiled with blood,
and your fingers with iniquity; your lips speak lies, your tongue
murmurs wickedness.
9. Therefore right remains far from us, and righteousness does not
overtake us; we hope for light, and behold darkness; for
brightness--we walk in thick darkness. 10. We grope along the wall
like the blind, and like eyeless men we grope: we stumble in the
light of noon-day as in the darkness, and among the living like the
dead.[3] 11. We roar all like bears, and moan deeply like doves; we
hope for right, and it cometh not; for salvation--it remaineth far
from us.
12. For our transgressions are many before Thee, and our sins testify
against us; for our transgressions are known to us, and our evil
deeds well known: 13. apostasy and denial of Jehovah, and turning
back from following our God, oppressive and false speaking,[4]
conceiving and giving out from the heart words of falsehood. 14. And
right is forced back, and righteousness stands afar off; for truth is
fallen in the market-place,[5] and honesty finds no admission.
15. And truth became missing, and he who avoids evil is outlawed.
And Jehovah saw it, and it was displeasing in His eyes, that there
was no right. 16. And He saw that there was not a man anywhere, and
was astonished that there was nowhere an intercessor: then His arm
brought Him help and His righteousness became His stay. 17. And He
put on righteousness as a coat of mail, and the helmet of salvation
upon His head; and put on garments of vengeance as armour, and
clothed Himself in zeal as in a cloak. 18. According to the deeds,
accordingly He will repay; burning wrath to His adversaries,
punishment to His foes; the islands He will repay with
chastisement.[6]
19. And they will fear the name of Jehovah from the west, and His
glory from the rising of the sun: for He will come like a stream
dammed up, which a tempest of Jehovah drives away.[7] 20. And a
Redeemer comes from Zion, and for those who turn from apostasy in
Jacob, saith Jehovah.
599
FOOTNOTES:
[7] "When the adversary cometh in like the river, the Spirit of
the Lord shall lift up a standard against him."--_Kay._
"Shall put him to flight."--_Jones._ "When the enemy shall
come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a
standard in the midst thereof."--_Birks._ "For He shall
come like a rushing stream, which the breath of Jehovah
driveth."--_Cheyne._
1. Arise, grow light: for thy light cometh, and the glory of Jehovah
riseth upon thee. 2. For, behold, the darkness covereth the earth,
and deep darkness the nations; and Jehovah riseth over thee, and His
glory becomes visible over thee. 3. And nations walk to thy light,
and kings to the shining of thy rays.
4. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: they all crowd together,
they come to thee: thy sons come from afar, and thy daughters are
carried hither upon arms. 5. Then wilt thou see and shine,[1] and
thine heart will tremble and expand; for the abundance of the nations
cometh to thee. 6. A swarm of camels will cover thee, the foals of
Midian and Ephah; they come all together from Saba; fully make known
the praises of Jehovah. 7. All the flocks of Kedar gather together
unto thee, the rams of Nabaioth will serve thee; they will come up
with acceptance upon Mine altar, and I will adorn the house of My
adorning. 8. Who are these who fly hither as a cloud, and like the
doves to their windows? 9. Yea, the islands wait for Me; and the
600
ships of Tarshish come first, to bring thy children from far, their
silver and their gold with them, to the name of thy God, and to the
Holy One of Israel, because He hath ornamented thee.
10. And the sons of strangers build thy walls, and their kings serve
thee; for in My wrath I have smitten thee, and in My favour I have
had mercy upon thee. 11. And thy gates remain open continually day
and night, they shall not be shut, to bring into thee the possessions
of the nations, and their kings in triumph.[2] 12. For the nation and
the kingdom which will not serve thee will perish, and the nations be
certainly laid waste. 13. The glory of Lebanon will come to thee,
cypresses, plane-trees, and sherbin-trees, all together, to beautify
the place of My sanctuary, and to make the place of My feet glorious.
14. The children also of thy tormentors come bending unto thee, and
all thy despisers stretch themselves at the soles of thy feet, and
call thee City of Jehovah, Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15. Whereas thou wast forsaken and hated, and no one walked through
thee, I make thee now into eternal splendour, a rapture from
generation to generation. 16. And thou suckest the milk of nations,
and the breast of kings thou wilt suck, and learn that I Jehovah am
thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. 17. For copper
I bring gold, and for iron I bring silver, and for wood copper, and
for stones iron, and to make peace thy magistracy, and righteousness
thy bailiffs.[3] 18. Injustice is no more seen in thy land, wasting
and destruction in thy borders; and thou callest salvation thy walls,
and renown thy gates.
19. The sun will be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness
will the moon shine upon thee: Jehovah will be to thee an everlasting
light, and thy God thy glory. 20. Thy sun will no more go down and
thy moon will not be withdrawn: for Jehovah will be to thee an
everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning will be finished.
21. And thy people, they are all righteous; they possess the land for
a sprout of My plantations, a work of My hands for glorification.
22. The smallest one will become thousands, and the meanest one a
powerful nation.
FOOTNOTES:
[3] "I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors
righteousness."--_Arnold._
601
1. The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is over me, because Jehovah hath
anointed me to bring glad tidings to sufferers;[1] hath sent me to
bind up broken-hearted ones, to proclaim liberty to those led
captive, and emancipation to the fettered; 2. to proclaim a year of
grace from Jehovah, and a day of vengeance from our God; to comfort
all that mourn; 3. to put upon the mourners of Zion, to give them a
head-dress[2] for ashes, oil of joy for mourning, a wrapper of renown
for an expiring spirit, that they may be called terebinths of
righteousness, a planting of Jehovah for glorification.
FOOTNOTES:
602
_The Gradual Extension of the Glory of Jerusalem._
1. For Zion's sake I shall not be silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I
shall not rest, till her righteousness breaks forth like morning
brightness, and her salvation like a blazing torch. 2. And nations
will see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory; and men will
call thee by a new name which the mouth of the Lord will determine.
3. And thou wilt be an adorning coronet in the hand of Jehovah, and a
royal diadem in the lap[1] of thy God. 4. Men will no more call thee
"Forsaken One;" and thy land they will not more call "Desert;" but
men will name thee "My delight in her," and thy home "Married one:"
for Jehovah hath delight in thee, and thy land is married. 5. For the
young man marrieth the maiden, thy children will marry thee; and as
the bridegroom rejoiceth in the bride, thy God will rejoice in thee.
8. Jehovah hath sworn by His right hand, and by His powerful arm,
Surely I no more give thy corn for food to thine enemies; and
foreigners will not drink thy must, for which thou hast laboured
hard. 9. No, they that gather it in shall eat it, and praise Jehovah;
and they that store it, shall drink it in the courts of My sanctuary.
10. Go forth, go forth through the gates, clear the way of the
people. Cast up, Cast up the road, clean it of stones; lift up a
banner above the nations![3] 11. Behold, Jehovah hath caused tidings
to sound to the end of the earth. Say to the daughter of Zion,
Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, His reward is with Him, and His
recompence before Him. 12. And men will call them the holy people,
the redeemed of Jehovah; and men will call thee, Striven after, A
city that will not be forsaken.[4]
FOOTNOTES:
603
1. Who is this that cometh from Edom, in deep red clothes
from Bozrah? This, glorious in His apparel, bending to and
fro in the fulness of His strength?[1]
2. Whence the red in Thine apparel, and Thy clothes like those of a
wine-presser?
FOOTNOTES:
10. But they resisted and vexed His Holy Spirit: then He turned to be
their enemy; He made war upon them. 11. Then His people remembered
the days of the olden time, of Moses: Where is He who brought them up
out of the see with the shepherd of His flock? Where is He who put
the Spirit of His holiness in the midst of them; 12. who caused the
arm of His majesty to go at the right of Moses; who split the waters
before them, to make Himself an everlasting name; 13. who caused them
to pass through abysses of the deep, like the horse upon the plain,
without their stumbling? 14. Like the cattle which goeth down into
the valley, the Spirit of Jehovah brought them to rest: thus hast
Thou led Thy people, to make Thyself a majestic name.
604
15. Look from heaven and see, from the habitation of Thy holiness and
majesty! Where is Thy zeal and Thy display of might? The pressure of
Thy bowels and Thy compassions are restrained towards me. 16. For
Thou art our Father; for Abraham is ignorant of us, and Israel
knoweth us not.[5] Thou, O Jehovah, art our Father; our Redeemer is
from olden time Thy name. 17. O Jehovah, why leadest Thou us astray
from Thy ways, hardenest our heart, so as not to fear Thee? Return
for Thy servants' sake, the tribes of Thine inheritance. 18. For a
little time Thy holy people was in possession. Our adversaries have
trodden down Thy sanctuary. 19. We have become such as He who is from
everlasting has not ruled over, upon whom Thy name was not called.
LXIV.--1. O that Thou wouldst rend the heavens, come down, the
mountains would shake before Thy countenance;--2. (wouldst come down)
as fire kindles brushwood, fire causes water to boil; to make known
Thy name to Thine adversaries, that the heathen may tremble before
Thy face! 3. When Thou doest terrible things which we hoped not for;
wouldst come down, (and) mountains shake before Thy countenance![1]
4. For from olden times men have not heard, nor perceived, nor hath
an eye seen, a God beside Thee, who acted on behalf of him that
waiteth for Him. 5. Thou didst meet him that rejoiceth to work
righteousness, when they remembered Thee in Thy ways.
8. And now, O Jehovah, Thou art our Father: we are the clay, and Thou
our Maker;[4] and we are all the work of Thy hand. 9. Be not
extremely angry, O Jehovah, and remember not the transgression for
ever! Behold, consider, we beseech Thee, we are Thy people.
10. The cities of Thy holiness have become a pasture-ground; Zion has
become a pasture-ground, Jerusalem a desert. 11. The house of our
holiness and of our adorning, where our fathers praised Thee, is
given up to the fire, and everything that was our delight given up to
devastation. 12. Wilt Thou restrain Thyself in spite of this, O
Jehovah, be silent, and leave us to suffer the utmost?
FOOTNOTES:
[4] "In all their adversity He was no adversary; but the angel
of His presence saved them."--_Kay, Jones._ "In all their
affliction, His was the conflict, and," &c.--_Birks._ "In
all their distress, He was distressed."--_Cheyne._ "In all
their affliction, He was afflicted."--_R. E. B., and
605
others._
[1] "When Thou didst terrible things, which we looked not for,
Thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at Thy
presence."--_Birks._ "To make Thy name known to Thine
adversaries, so that nations trembled before Thee, while
Thou didst terrible things which we hoped not for: [that
Thou didst come down, that the mountains shook at Thy
presence] yea, from old men have not heard," &c.--_Cheyne,_
who adopts the suggestion that the words in brackets have
been repeated by accident from ver. 1. "The passage gains
greatly by their removal."
606
8. Thus saith Jehovah, As when the must is found in the cluster, men
say, Do not destroy it, for there is a blessing within it, so will I
do for the sake of My servants, that I may not destroy the whole.
9. And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and an heir of My
mountains out of Judah, and My chosen ones shall inherit it, and My
servants shall dwell there. 10. And the plain of Sharon becomes a
meadow for flocks, and the valley of Achor a resting-place for oxen,
for My people that asketh for Me.
11. And ye, who are enemies to Jehovah, O ye that are unmindful of My
holy mountain, who prepare a table for Gad, and fill up mixed drink
for the goddess of destiny,--12. I have destined you to the sword,
and ye will bow down to the slaughter, because I have called, and ye
have not replied, I have spoken, and ye have not heard; and ye did
evil in Mine eyes, and ye chose that which I did not like.
13. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Jehovah: Behold My servants will
eat, but ye will hunger; behold My servants will drink, but ye will
thirst; behold My servants will rejoice, but ye will be put to shame;
14. behold My servants will exult for delight of heart, but ye will
cry for anguish of heart, and ye will lament for brokenness of
spirit. 15. And ye will leave your name for a curse to My chosen
ones, and the Lord, Jehovah, will slay thee; by His servants He will
call by another name, 16. so that whosoever blesseth himself in them
and will bless himself by the God of truthfulness,[2] and whosoever
sweareth in the land will swear by the God of truthfulness,[3]
because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they have
vanished from Mine eyes.
17. For behold I create a new heaven and a new earth; and men will
not remember the first, nor do they come to any one's mind. 18. No,
be ye joyful and exult for ever at that which I create; for behold I
turn Jerusalem into exulting, and her people into joy. 19. And I
shall exult over Jerusalem, and be joyous over My people, and the
voice of weeping and screaming will be heard in her no more. 20. And
there shall be no more come thence a suckling of a few days, and an
old man who has not lived out all his days; for the youth in it will
die as one a hundred years old, and the sinner be smitten with a
curse as one a hundred years old.[4]
21. And they will build houses and inhabit them, and plant vineyards
and enjoy the fruit thereof. 22. They will not build and another
inhabit, nor plant and another enjoy; for like the days of trees are
the days of My people, and My chosen ones will consume the work of
their hands. 23. They will not weary themselves in vain, nor bring
forth for sudden disaster; for they are a family of the blessed of
Jehovah, and their offspring are left to them.
24. And it will come to pass: before they call, I will answer; they
are still speaking, and I already hear. 25. Wolf and lamb then feed
together, and the lion eats chopped straw like the ox, and the
serpent--dust is its bread. They will neither do harm nor destroy in
all My holy mountain, saith Jehovah.
FOOTNOTES:
607
[1] "I am sought of them who asked not [of Me]; I am found [of
them] that sought Me not."--_Jones, R. E. B._ "I gave ear
to them that asked not for Me."--_Arnold._ "I have offered
answers to those who have not asked; I have been as hard to
those who have not sought Me."--_Cheyne._
[4] "For he that dieth a hundred years old shall die a youth;
and he that falleth short of a hundred years shall be held
accursed."--_Jones._ "There shall no more be any from
thence, infant of days or old man, that shall not have
fulfilled his days."--_Kay._
6. Sound of tumult from the city! Sound from the temple! Sound of
Jehovah, who repays His enemies with punishment.
7. Before she travailed she brought forth; before pains came upon
her, she was delivered of a boy. 8. Who hath heard such a thing? Who
hath seen anything like it? Are men delivered of a land in one day?
Or is a nation begotten at once? For Zion hath travailed, yea, hath
brought forth her children. 9. Should I bring to the birth, and not
cause to bring forth? saith Jehovah; or should I, who cause to bring
forth, shut up? saith thy God.
10. Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and exult over her, all ye that love
her; be ye delightfully glad with her, all ye that mourn over her,
11. that ye may suck and be satisfied with the breast of her
consolations, that ye may sip and delight yourselves in the abundance
608
of her glory. 12. For thus saith Jehovah, Behold, I guide peace to
her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like an overflowing
stream, that ye may suck; ye shall be borne upon arms, and fondled
upon knees. 13. Like a man whom his mother comforteth, so will I
comfort you, and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 14. And ye will
see, and your heart will be joyful, and your bones will flourish like
young herbage; and thus does the hand of Jehovah make itself known to
His servants, and fiercely does He treat His enemies. 15. For behold
Jehovah, in the fire will He come, and His chariots are like the
whirlwind, to pay out His wrath in burning of fire. 16. For in the
midst of fire Jehovah holds judgment, and in the midst of His sword
with all flesh; and great will be the multitude pierced through by
Jehovah. 17. They that consecrate themselves and purify themselves
for the gardens behind one in the midst, who eat swine's flesh and
abomination and the field mouse--they all come to an end together,
saith Jehovah. 18. And I, their works and their thoughts--it comes to
pass that all nations and tongues are gathered together, that they
come and see My glory.[3]
19. And I set a sign upon them, and send away those that have escaped
from them to the Gentiles, to Tarshish, Phûl and Lûd, to the
stretchers of the bow, Tubal and Javan--the distant islands that have
not heard My fame and have not seen My glory, and they will proclaim
My glory among the Gentiles. 20. And they will bring your brethren
out of all heathen nations, a sacrifice for Jehovah, upon horses and
upon chariots, and upon litters, and upon mules, and upon
dromedaries, to My holy mountain, to Jerusalem, saith Jehovah, as the
children of Israel bring the meat-offering in a clean vessel to the
house of Jehovah. 21. And I will also add some of them to the
priests, to the Levites, saith Jehovah. 22. For as the new heaven and
the new earth, which I am about to make, continue before Me, saith
Jehovah, so will your family and your name continue. 23. And it will
come to pass, from new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath,
all flesh will come, to worship before Me, saith Jehovah. 24. And
they go out and look at the corpses of the men that have rebelled
against Me, for their worm will not die, and their fire will not be
quenched, and they become an abomination to all flesh.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] "But to this will I look, even to him that is poor, and
contrite in spirit, and trembleth at My word."--_Birks._
"Afflicted, and crushed in spirit."--_Cheyne._ "Meek and of
a contrite spirit."--_Arnold._
609
CALKINS.[1]
I.
II.
610
Neither was any deceit in His mouth.
10. And yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise Him;
He laid sickness upon Him.
But when He has made over His soul as a sin-offering,
He shall see offspring; He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in His hands!
III.
FOOTNOTE:
URWICK.
LIII.--1. Who hath believed our report? and the arm of the Lord to
whom hath it been revealed? 2. For He grew up as a tender plant
before Him, and as a root out of a dry ground. He hath no form nor
comeliness that we should regard Him, and no beauty that we should
desire Him. 3. He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows
and acquainted with grief. And there was, as it were, the hiding of
the face from Him. He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.
4. Surely our griefs HE hath bore, and our sorrows HE hath carried
them; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5. But HE was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our
iniquities; the chastisement of OUR peace (or, our peace,
chastisement) was upon HIM; and with His stripes we are healed.
6. All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned every one to
his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
611
7. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His
mouth; as the lamb to the slaughter, He was brought; and as a sheep
before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth. 8. He was
taken from prison and from judgment, and who considereth His
generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the
transgression of my people was He stricken. 9. And they made His
grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, though He had
done no violence, neither was there deceit in His mouth. 10. Yet it
pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief.
When Thou shalt make His soul an offering for guilt (or, a
guilt-offering), He shall see (His) seed, He shall prolong (His)
days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
11. Because of the travail of His soul He shall be satisfied; by His
knowledge shall My Righteous Servant justify the many, for their
iniquities He shall bear. 12. Therefore will I divide Him a portion
in the many [_i.e.,_ the many shall be the portion allotted to Him],
and with the strong shall He divide the spoil; for in that He poured
out His soul unto the death, and was numbered with the transgressors,
He Himself bare the sin of the many, and made intercession for the
transgressors.
FOOTNOTES:
END OF VOL. I.
Transcriber's Notes.
- The pound sign or hash (#) has been used to indicate a missing
character, throughout.
- When the book refers to a range of pages, the first page number of
the range is coded as a hyperlink. Page ranges in the Index of
Authors link to the beginning of an outline by the named author on
the indicated page.
612
Deliverance, A" at page 437; capitalize "Be" in "Hallowed Be Thy
Name;" capitalize "Art" in "In Whom Art Thou Trusting;" capitalize
"His" in "Isaiah, His Interview with Ahaz," "Isaiah, His Vision of
the King and His Kingdom," "Isaiah, His Vision of God," and
"Isaiah, His Vision of the Last Days;" capitalize "The" in
"Isaiah, The Evangelical Prophet" and change the page from 3 to 1;
capitalize "Its" in "Language, Its Influence on Character;"
capitalize "Life" in "Life, The Shortening of" and capitalize
"Instead" in "Lip Service Instead of Heart Worship."
613
apply Reverential Capitalization (RC) to "Love" in the phrase
"thrice holy God, whose name is Love."
- On page 12, a printing issue mars the copy from which this
transcription is made. The line in question is: "TXey do answer
the end" with the "X" representing an issue; transcribed as "They."
- The break between pages 29 and 30 is between the point number and
the start of the sentence, 4.|_That_. The transcriber moved the
first word of the sentence to the earlier page to avoid the
separation.
614
spirituality" per Errata.
- On page 56, change the reference for the passage for outline
"Sinners Self-destroyed" from "i. 19" to "i. 19-20."
615
- On page 67, in outline "Forsaking the Lord," in point I change
"transcendant" to "transcendent." Subpoints of points II and III
were shown as Arabic numerals within parentheses. Remove the
parentheses for consistency with other outlines. In the quoted
scripture for outline "The Doom of the Apostates," correct "oaks
which ye have denied" to "oaks which ye have desired."
- On page 80, in outline "The Material and the Moral," in point II,
insert a comma after the introductory phrase "In the absence of
this moral restraint."
616
point II, correct "politicans" to "politicians," and "there
rivalries" to "their rivalries."
617
"Similitude" to match the capitalization of the other points.
was transcribed as ". . . dear to and dependent upon him, has been
driven into some town . . . ." In the final sentence, add closing
quote to the phrase "common Father."
- On page 122, change the credit for outline "Cords of Vanity" from
"Maculloch" to "Macculloch," for consistency with the Index of
Authors.
618
- On page 129, in outline "The Doom of Despisers," add a closing
double quotes at the end of point III 3.
619
insert the reference Isa. lxv.%8 after the quotation of the
passage.
- On page 154, the title to outline "Heedfulness" was set with extra
space between each letter. This may be known as _"gesperrt"_ or
_"sperrsatz."_ In German literature, this may indicate emphasis.
In the credit at the end of the outline, insert a comma between
the name of the book and the volume indicator.
- The break between pages 157 and 158 is in the word "determining":
deter|mining.
was transcribed as ". . . for the excellent reason that too great a
disparity in age between man and wife is not desirable but really
because the suitor is not sufficiently wealthy."
620
- On page 167, same outline, in point 1, apply RC to "God's Word."
- The break between pages 177 and 178 comes within a unit that style
indicates should not be broken. "but--I.|Let." The whole unit has
been moved to the earlier page.
- On page 180, same outline, add a comma to the credit between the
author's degree and the title of his book. In outline "The Law and
the Testimony," in the second paragraph, insert a period after the
word "Intelligently" and insert a period after the Arabic numeral
1 for consistency with the succeeding numbered points.
- The break between pages 181 and 182 is in the word "irrespective":
irrespec|tive.
621
- On page 183, in outline "The Remedy," point IV opens a quotation
but does not close it. Insert closing quotation marks after
"expectation." Apply RC to "direction is Divine."
- On page 184, the title of outline "The Joy of Harvest" is set with
extra space between the letters. In point I, move the first
footnote anchor from the beginning of the second sentence to the
end of the first sentence.
- The break between pages 200 and 201 is in the word "Consequently":
622
Conse|quently.
- The break between pages 212 and 213 occurs in a block of text that
style indicates should be treated as a unit: "absurd,|--then." The
whole unit was moved to the earlier page.
623
- On page 216, same outline, in Rawlinson's point I, apply RC to
"the Gospel." In his point III, correct "Whereever" to "Wherever;"
change commas after subpoint numbers to periods, for consistency;
and apply RC to "the Gospel." In his concluding paragraph, in
point 2, apply RC to "the Gospel."
- On page 219, same outline, the text for the fourth footnote was
omitted from the book.
- The break between pages 232 and 233 is in the word "dangers":
dan|gers.
624
in bold, rather than leaving the word "That" not bold.
- The break between pages 242 and 243 occurs within text that style
indicates should be a unit: "This appears|--1. In" The unit has
been moved to the earlier page to prevent it from being broken
between pages.
- The break between pages 246 and 247 comes in the word "empires":
em|pires.
- The break between pages 255 and 256 is in the word "invitation:"
invita|tion.
625
- On page 260, in outline "Advent Thoughts and Joys," in Blomfield's
point I, correct "Arimithea" to "Arimathea." In point II, apply RC
to "His Divinity." In point III, change "atoning Work" to "work."
- On page 265, same outline, in Miall's point II, change the second
use of "will" to lower case to match the first use.
- On page 270, same outline, in point II, correct the reference from
"Ps. lviii. 3" to "Ps. lviii. 2." Insert snippet of Ps.
lxxviii. 50.
- The break between pages 279 and 280 is in the word "responsible":
re|sponsible.
626
- On page 282, the title of outline "God's Invitation to Shelter"
was set with extra space between the letters.
- On page 288, in outline "The Day of the East Wind," change "Job
xviii. 17" to "Job xxi. 18."
- The break between pages 291 and 292 is in the word "knowing":
know|ing.
- The break between pages 292 and 293 is in the word "astonishing":
as|tonishing.
627
Dignity," in the introduction, apply RC to "Divine wrath." Insert
a paragraph break after the text of point I to match that of point
II on the following page. Apply RC to "Divine nature."
- The break between pages 299 and 300 is in the word "schoolmaster":
school|master.
- The break between pages 301 and 302 is in the word "declaration":
declara|tion.
- The break between pages 302 and 303 is in the word "immortal":
im|mortal.
- The break between pages 305 and 306 is in the word "decisions":
deci|sions.
- The break between pages 309 and 310 is in the word "impurity":
im|purity.
628
character" and "Divine law." In point II, apply RC to "the Gospel."
- The break between pages 325 and 326 occurs within what style
indicates should be a unit: "(1.)|The." The whole unit was moved
to the earlier page.
629
- On page 327, in outline "Christian Quietness," in point IV, apply
RC to "upon a Rock," meaning Jesus. In outline "The Vanity," the
second paragraph includes a list which was typeset "Exodus,
Gideon, David, and Goliath;" remove the comma after "David."
- The break between pages 335 and 336 is in the word "principles":
prin|ciples.
630
resources." In point 5, capitalise "Paschal Hymn." In the
conclusion, apply RC to "Divinely appointed." In outline "Tophet,"
insert a period after "more excellent way."
- The break between pages 343 and 344 occurs within text which style
indicates should be a unit: "it.--Julius." The whole unit was
moved to the earlier page.
- The break between pages 346 and 347 is in the word "feelings":
feel|ings.
- The break between pages 357 and 358 is in the word "Conscience":
Con|science.
631
Divine."
- The break between pages 374 and 375 is in the word "prosperity":
pros|perity.
632
in the plain text file. In point I, apply RC to "Divine grace." In
footnote 2 (denoted β originally), capitalize "The" and change
"Peaceable" to "Peaceful" to match the referenced outline.
- The break between pages 390 and 391 is in the word "sickness":
sick|ness.
- The break between pages 391 and 392 is in the word "advancing":
ad|vancing.
- The break between pages 393 and 394 is in the word "outward":
out|ward.
- On page 396, capitalize "Will" in the outline title "The Book that
Will Endure Testing." In the introduction, apply RC to "its
Divinity."
- On page 397, same outline, in point IV, change "Rom. viii. 19 23"
to "Rom. viii. 19-23."
633
argument, he fact remains" to "the fact remains."
- The break between pages 406 and and 407 is in the worth
"Nazareth": Naza|reth.
- The break between pages 409 and 410 is in the word "fulness":
ful|ness.
- On page 416, capitalise "Art" and "Thou" in outline title "In Whom
Art Thou Trusting?"
- The break between pages 419 and 420 is in the word "wrong-doings":
wrong-|doings.
- On page 424, same outline, in point III, change "from His hand" to
"his," because the prayer is for God to intervene against another
person.
634
- The break between pages 427 and 428 is in the word "instance":
in|stance.
- On page 465, the title of outline "Wise Lessons from Wicked Lips"
is set with extra space between the letters.
635
to "man-god." Apply RC to "Divinity."
- The break between pages 479 and 480 is in the word "constitute":
con|stitute.
- On page 480, same outline, correct "2 Cor. vi. 7" to "2 Cor.
vi. 17." In the credit, remove the Italic formatting from "pp."
and change "Port Madoc" to "Portmadoc."
- The break between pages 481 and 482 is in the word "threatening":
threaten|ing.
- On page 482, same outline, change the name of the town from "Port
Madoc" to "Portmadoc."
- The break between pages 487 and 488 is in the word "become":
be|come.
- The break between pages 491 and 492 is in the word "promise":
pro|mise.
636
correct the quoted text "munitions of rock" to "rocks."
- The break between pages 493 and 494 is in the word "elevated":
ele|vated.
- On page 494, same outline, correct "you are a mem ber" to "member."
- On page A2L, ch. i. 11, apply RC, "sacrifices to Me." Verse 12,
apply RC, "before Me" and "My courts." Verse 13, apply RC, "to
Me." Verse 14, apply RC, "My soul hateth," "to Me." Verse 15,
apply RC, "Mine eyes." Verse 16, apply RC, "Mine eyes."
- On page A12L, ch. x. 5, apply RC, "My anger" and "My indignation."
Verse 6, apply RC, "My wrath." Verse 12, apply RC, "all His work."
637
- On page A15L, ch. xiii. 3, apply RC, "Myself" and "My" (four
times). Verse 5, apply RC, "His wrath."
- Verse number 15 for chapter xiii. was moved ahead to page A16L,
with the text.
- On page A17L, ch. xiv. 22, apply RC, "Myself." Verse 25, apply RC,
"My" (twice).
- The break between pages A19L and A20L is in the word "rebukes":
re|bukes.
- On page A25L, ch. xxiii. 13, change "He has rendered it a ruin" to
"he."
- The break between pages A27L and A28L is in the word "desired":
de|sired.
- On page A28L, ch. xxvi. 15, apply RC, "Thou hast glorified." Ch.
xxvii. 4, apply RC, "My people."
- On page A29L, ch. xxvii. 4, apply RC, "My people" and "Me." Verse
5, apply RC, "My" and "Me" (twice).
- On page A31L, ch. xxix. 2, apply RC, "Me." Verse 13, apply RC,
"Me" (thrice).
- On page A32L, ch. xxix. 23, apply RC, "My" (twice). Ch. xxx. 1,
apply RC to "Me" and "My." In ch. xxx. 2, apply RC"My."
- On page A33L, ch. xxx. 22, change "And he shall defile" to "ye."
- On page A34L, move the dash to between chapter number xxxi. and
verse number 1.
- The break between pages A34L and A35L is between verse 7 and the
first word of the verse. The verse number was moved to the
subsequent page.
- On page A38L, ch. xxxiv. 11, apply RC to "One." Verse 16, apply RC
to "My." In ch. xxxv., two verses are numbered 6; number the second
one 7.
- On page A42L, ch. xxxvii. 28, apply RC to "Me." Verse 29, apply RC
638
to "Me" and "My" (thrice). Verse 35, apply RC to "My" (twice). In
ch. xxxviii. 3, apply RC to "Thee" and "Thine."
- On page A45L, ch. xl. 20, change "he" to lower case twice,
referring to a man.
- On page A46L, ch. xl. 25, apply RC to "Me." Ch. xli. 1, apply RC
to "Me." Verse 2, apply RC to "Him" (thrice) and "His" (twice).
Verse 3, apply RC to "He" (twice) and "His." Verse 4, apply RC to
"First" and "Last."
- On page A51L, in ch. xliii. 20, apply RC to "Me" and "My" (twice).
Verse 21, apply RC to "Myself" and "My." Verse 22, apply RC to
"Me" (twice). Verse 23, apply RC to "Me" (twice). Verse 24, apply
RC to "Me" (four times). Verse 25, apply RC to "He" and "Mine."
Verse 26, apply RC to "Me." Verse 27, apply RC to "Me."
- On page A53L, ch. xliv. 21, apply RC to "My" and "Me" (twice).
Verse 22, apply RC to "Me." Verse 24, apply RC to "Former" and
"Myself."
- On page A55L, ch. xlv. 15, apply RC to "Thou" and "Thyself." Verse
18, apply RC to "Creator," "Former," and "Maker." Verse 19, apply
RC to "Me." Verse 21, apply RC to "Me" (twice). Verse 22, apply RC
to "Me." Verse 23, apply RC to "Myself" and "Me." In the
introduction to ch. xlvi., apply RC to "Divinity."
- The break between pages A55L and A56L is in the word "control":
con|trol.
639
- On page A56L, ch. xlvi. 3, apply RC to "Me." Verse 5, apply RC to
"Me" (twice). Verse 9, apply RC to "Me." Verse 10, apply RC to
"My." Verse 12, apply RC to "Me." Verse 13, apply RC to "My" (four
times).
- On page A61L, ch. xlix. 11, apply RC to "My." Verse 16, apply RC
to "My" and "Me." Verse 22, apply RC to "My" (twice). Verse 26,
apply RC to "Mighty."
- On page A64L, ch. li. 16, apply RC to "My" (thrice). Verse 22,
apply RC to "My."
- On page A70L, ch. liv. 15, apply RC to "My." Verse 17, apply RC to
"Me." In the introduction to ch. lv., apply RC to "Divine."
640
to "My" (twice). In verse 11, apply RC to "My" (twice) and "Me."
In ch. lvi. 1, apply RC to "My" (twice).
- On page A73L, ch. lvii. 11, apply RC to "Me" (twice) and "My."
Verse 12, insert right parenthesis after "avail." Verse 13, apply
RC to "Me" and "My."
- On page A74L, ch. lvii. 16, apply RC to "Me." Verse 17, apply RC
to "Me." In ch. lviii. 1, apply RC to "My." Verse 2, apply RC to
"Me" (twice) and "My."
- On page A79L, ch. lx. 21, apply RC to "My" (twice) and "Myself."
- The break between pages A80L and A81L is in the word "Jehovah":
Jeho|vah.
641
apply RC to "My" Verses 6 and 7, apply RC to "Me" (twice). Verse
8, apply RC to "My" Verse 9, apply RC to "My" (thrice). Verse 10,
apply RC to "My" and "Me." Verse 11, apply RC to "My"
- On page A85L, ch. xlv. 13 and 14, apply RC to "My" (four times).
Verse 15, apply RC to "My." Verse 16, apply RC to "My." Verse 19,
apply RC to "My." Verses 21 and 22, apply RC to "My" (twice).
Verse 25, apply RC to "My."
- On page A87L, ch. xlvi. 18, apply RC to "My." Verse 19, apply RC
to "My" (twice). Verse 20, apply RC to "My."
- The break between pages A87L and A88L is between verse number 22
and the text of the verse. Move the verse number to the following
page.
- On page A88L, ch. xlvi. 22, apply RC to "Me." Verse 23, apply RC
to "Me." Verse 24, apply RC to "Me."
- On page A6R, ch. iii. 3, apply RC to "Me" and "My." Verse 4, apply
RC to "My." Verse 5, apply RC to "My." Verse 13, apply RC to "My."
Ch. v., footnote 1, insert right double quote after question mark
at the end of the note. Ch. v., footnote 2, in verse 13, apply RC
to "My."
642
"Mine" (twice). Verse 6, apply RC to "My."
- On page A13R, ch. x. 17, change "His Holy One" to "his." Verse 22,
apply RC to "Mighty."
- On page A16R, ch. xiv. 2, change "let them away" to "led them
away."
- On page A17R, ch. xiv. 14, insert a period after "Most High."
Verse 17, insert right double quote at the end of the verse. Verse
25, apply RC to "My" (twice). Verse 28, capitalise "King."
- On page A21R, ch. xix. 25, apply RC to "My" (twice) and "Mine."
- The break between pages A24R and A25R is in the word "determined":
deter|mined.
- On page A28R, ch. xxvi. 19, apply RC to "Thy." Ch. xxvii. 4, apply
RC to "Me."
- Move the verse number for ch. xxix. 14 to page A32R, with the text
of the verse.
- On page A32R, ch. xxix. 23, apply RC to "My hands." Ch. xxx. 1,
apply RC to "My" (twice). Verse 2, apply RC to "My."
643
- On page A37R, ch. xxxiii. 17, apply RC to "King" and "His." Insert
verse number 19. Ch. xxxiv. 5, apply RC to "My" (twice).
- On page A38R, ch. xxxiv. 16, apply RC to "My." Ch. xxxv. 4, apply
RC to "Divine."
- The break between paes A40R and A41R is in the word "withdrawn":
with|drawn.
- On page A42R, ch. xxxvii. 28, apply RC to "Me." Verse 29, apply RC
to "Me," "Mine," and "My" (twice). Verse 35, apply RC to "Mine"
and "My." In the Italic heading before ch. xxxviii., capitalise
"Illness," "Assures," "Him," "His," and "Recovery."
- On page A46R, ch. xl. 25, apply RC to "Me." Ch. xli. 1, apply RC
to "Me." Verse 2, apply RC to "His" (thrice) and "Him." Verse 3,
apply RC to "He" and "His."
- On page A49R, ch. xlii. 17, change "god" to lower case. Verse 19,
apply RC to "My" (twice).
- The break between pages A50R and A51R is in the word "fugitives":
fugi|tives.
644
- On page A52R, ch. xliv. 1, apply RC to "My." Verse 2, apply RC to
"My." Verse 3, apply RC to "My" (twice). In Italic heading before
ch. xliv. 6, capitalise "Gods," "Nations," "Who," "People," and
"Rejoice." Verse 6, apply RC to "Me" and "God." Verse 7, apply RC
to "Me." Verse 8, apply RC to "My," "Me," and "Rock."
- On page A53R, ch. xliv. 21, apply RC to "My" and "Me" (twice).
Verse 22, apply RC to "Me." In Italic heading before ch. xliv. 24,
capitalise "Anointed" and "Deliverer."
- On page A55R, ch. xlv. 13, apply RC to "My" (twice). Verse 18,
apply RC to "Creator," "Former," and "Finisher." Verse 21, apply
RC to "Me" (twice). Verse 22, apply RC to "Me." Verse 23, apply RC
to "Myself," "My," and "Me."
- On page A61R, ch. xlix. 16, apply RC to "My" and "Me." Verse 22,
apply RC to "My" (twice). In footnote 7 (originally ‡),
apply RC to "Myself."
645
"Bursting," "Forth," "Turning," and "Away." Verse 4, apply RC to
"Me" (thrice) and "My" (thrice). Verse 5, apply RC to "My"
(twice), "Me," and "Mine." Verse 6, apply RC to "My" (twice).
Verse 7, apply RC to "Me" and "My." Verse 8, apply RC to "My"
(twice). Verse 9, apply RC to "Thou." Verse 10, apply RC to "Thou."
- On page A64R, ch. li. 16, apply RC to "My" (thrice). Insert the
anchor for footnote 4 (originally †) at the end of verse 19. Verse
22, apply RC to "My."
- The break between pages A68R and A69R is in the word "Creator":
Crea|tor.
- The break between pages A69R and A70R is in the word "comforted":
com|forted.
- On page A70R, ch. liv. 15, apply RC to "My." Verse 17, apply RC to
"Me." Italic heading before ch. lv., capitalise "Take" and "Sure."
Verse 2, apply RC to "Me."
- On page A73R, ch. lvii. 11, apply RC to "Me" (twice). Verse 13,
apply RC to "Me" and "My." Verse 14, apply RC to "My."
- Move the verse number for ch. lix. 2 from page A75R to A76R to
join the text of the verse.
- On page A77R, ch. lix. 21, apply RC to "My covenant" and "My word."
646
- The break between pages A77R and A78R is in the word "becomes":
be|comes.
- On page A79R, ch. lx. 21, apply RC to "My" (twice). Italic heading
before ch. lxi., capitalise "Committed."
- The break between pages A84R and A85R is in the word "mountain":
moun|tain.
- On page A85R, ch. lxv. 12, apply RC to "Mine." Verse 13, apply RC
to "My" (thrice). Verse 14, apply RC to "My." Verse 15, apply RC
to "My." Verse 16, change "himself in the" to "himself in them"
and apply RC to "Mine." Verse 19, apply RC to "My." Verse 22,
apply RC to "My" (twice). Verse 25, apply RC to "My." Ch. lxv.
footnote 4, change "sha## die" to "shall die."
- On page A87R, ch. lxvi. 18, apply RC to "My." Verse 19, apply RC
to "My" (thrice). Verse 20, apply RC to "My." Ch. lxvi. footnote
3, apply RC to "My."
- On page A88R, ch. lxvi. 22, apply RC to "Me." Verse 23, apply RC
to "Me." Verse 24, apply RC to "Me."
647
- On page A67R, in the Urwick translation, ch. lii. 12, apply RC to
"My Servant."
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Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see
Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at
www.Free.org
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approach us with offers to donate.
Please check the Project Free Web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To
donate, please visit: www.Free.org/donate
Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search
facility: www.Free.org
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